The Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies
by LilyannaSpiritOfTheCheetah
Summary: The Winged Lord and Lady were bound together from the beginning, sharing a bond of such strength as never before seen. The tale of their love and life together did not start out as any would hope, but ancient forces have bound them as one and they must find a balance between being mates, teenagers, and warriors of the light while The Power determines their family's destiny.
1. Green With Evil

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers  
_

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**Chapter 1 – Green With Evil **

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One afternoon after school in mid September 1993, Kimberly Hart, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor and Billy Cranston were watching their friend and fellow Power Ranger Jason Scott compete in a karate tournament held at the Youth Centre. The annual karate tournament usually ended with Jason winning. At least it had ever since pre-pubescent middle schooler Jason Scott had started competing. This year, however, was different. A teen, new to Angel Grove, competed against Jason, ending the tournament in a tie. After the match, Kimberly watched from afar as her friend, her brother for all intents and purposes, congratulated the new kid. She couldn't help admiring his tall, fit physique and long dark brown hair. Well, couldn't keep her eyes off him would better describe Kimberly's behaviour. Behaviour that did not go unnoticed by her best friend Trini.

"Hey Kim are you coming?" She asked.

"Huh?" said Kim articulately. Trini smiled.

"He is gorgeous isn't he?"

"Yeah, you can say that again." Kim breathed, her attention never leaving the green clad man some twenty feet away.

"Maybe you'll catch him in school tomorrow." Trini said as she began to lead her friend away.

"Yeah…" Kim trailed off as she hesitantly allowed herself to be led away.

**-T/K-**

The next day Kim arrived at school extra early hoping to see the new kid and have a chance to talk to him. She scanned the yard as she went inside and made it all the way to her locker without seeing him. Sighing Kim opened her locker and grabbed her books for first period, all the while thinking of him. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by the arrival of two of her least favourite people.

"Hey babe." Skull crooned sickeningly as he sidled up next to her. "Need a big strong man to help with your books?"

"Dream on, Skull." She shot back. Skull looked to Bulk who put his doughnut in his pocket.

"Time to teach her a lesson." He told Skull who nodded.

"Hey!" came a voice, and all three turned to see the imposing figure of the new kid walking over to them. Kim smiled seeing him, her heart skipping a beat. "Didn't you hear the lady? She said no." Bulk and Skull shared a look before smiling themselves, though their smiles were anything but pleasant.

"I think it's time for somebody else to be taught a lesson." Bulk said as he and Skull prepared to attack. Their plans were cut short, however, when the new kid launched into a series of karate moves performed one after the other in quick succession. None of them hit the bullies, as he intended them not to, but they had the effect of scaring them off.

"M-m-maybe we'll teach you that lesson some other time." Bulk stuttered as he and Skull literally ran away. Kim laughed at the bullies' quick retreat then turned to face her saviour.

"Thanks. That was really great." Kim's heart skipped another beat as their eyes met for the first time. She found herself drawn to him, unable to turn away.

"Sure." He acknowledged her gratitude and paused for a few moments, feeling exactly as Kim did. When his brain began to function again he realized they had been standing there staring at each other and he really had no logical reason to stay.

"Well, I'll see you around." He said hesitantly, reluctant to go, but turning away none the less.

"Hey!" Kim called after him, not wanting him to leave just yet. He turned around a little too eagerly and all but ran the two steps back to where she was standing, happy that she had stopped him from leaving. "I'm Kimberly. You're new around here aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm Tommy." He held out his hand for her to shake and she did not hesitate in taking it. A shock went through them as their hands connected, the pull they felt towards each other only growing.

"Um…listen, do you wanna get together with some of us after school? You know nothing major, just hang out at the Youth Centre?" She held her breath, hoping he'd say yes. She needn't have worried though as a big smile broke out on his face.

"Yeah, that sounds great." A smile broke out on Kim's face too.

"Ok." The two stared at each other a moment longer then became aware they were still holding hands. Laughing awkwardly, not knowing what was happening, the two dropped hands.

"Well, I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye." This time when Tommy turned to go Kim didn't stop him, though she desperately wanted to.

'_What was that?'_ she asked herself, turning to head to her own class. Being a Power Ranger she'd dealt with her share of weird, but nothing like this. She resolved to talk to Trini about it at lunch, hoping her friend would have some insight. Kim spent the entire morning thinking of Tommy, a fact that did not go unnoticed by her friends. When lunch arrived the five friends made their way to the cafeteria and Trini all but had to lead Kim by the hand to the table as she was too busy looking for Tommy.

"Ok, Kim, spill." Trini said the moment Kim was safely seated. "You've been in a daze all morning. What's going on?" With one last look around Kim turned her attention to the question at hand.

"It's Tommy." She said, a small smile forming on her face just by saying his name.

"Tommy?" Jason asked, his attention snapping her way from his conversation with Zack upon hearing his sister's thoughts were on a boy. As her big brother (he conveniently ignored the fact that she was born eight months before him) he needed to know about any boy that got close to her.

"He's the new kid, who fought you in the tournament yesterday." Kim supplied. "He helped me out with Bulk and Skull this morning, I was hoping to catch him at lunch. Oh and I invited him to come to the Youth Centre with us after school."

"Isn't he a bit old for you?" Jason asked. Kim rolled her eyes.

"He's a freshman too, Jase. And you can quit the overprotective big brother act. After all I am older than you, remember?" Kim loved reminding him of this fact when he got overprotective. Jason scowled but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"So you talked to him? Is he nice? Is he still as gorgeous as yesterday?" Trini gushed, effectively achieving her goal of turning off the boys' attention, none of them wanting to hear the girls' boy talk.

"Alright talk." Trini said seriously when she was sure the boys' attention was firmly placed on whatever they were now discussing.

"He's amazing, Tri."

"Amazing? That's a pretty bold statement for one meeting."

"Well he is. He handled Bulk and Skull as if he'd been doing it his whole life, he was nice and still absolutely gorgeous. And…" She hesitated, not entirely sure how to describe the connection she had felt.

"And…?" Trini prodded.

"I'm not entirely sure, Tri. When our eyes met my heart skipped a beat. When our hands touched I felt a shock go through me, and I'm pretty sure he did too. I know it sounds entirely cheesy, and if we were anyone else I'd write it off as a big crush. But we're…_us_…weird shit has happened, and I know you remember the shock we felt when we held our Power Coins for the first time and accepted The Power. It wasn't unlike that…I don't know how to describe it." Kim bit her lip, wondering if Trini thought her as crazy as she thought herself. As if sensing her friend's distress, Trini wrapped an arm around her.

"I don't think you're crazy, Kim. I don't exactly know what's going on, but I don't think you're crazy. The only thing I can tell you is wait and see what happens."

**-T/K-**

That afternoon, Tommy never showed at the Youth Centre, but Kim was slightly relieved as Rita Repulsa launched an attack and the Rangers were called into battle. During that battle (sometime between the defeat of the Putties and the defeat of the 'monster-of-the-day' as the Rangers liked to call them) a new enemy showed up. But not just any enemy, it was another Power Ranger. A Green Ranger, who for some unknown reason was evil and completely under Rita's control. After the Rangers basically had their asses handed to them by the Green Ranger and his Sword of Darkness, they returned to the Command Centre, hoping to get some answers from Zordon. Teleporting in, they were shocked at what they found.

"Look at this place." Jason muttered.

"The control panels have been ripped out."

"Aw man, this place is totalled."

"Look!" Kim cried, pointing up to where Zordon usually looked down on them. "You guys, Zordon's gone." A bang drew their attention to the edge of the main platform where they saw Alpha wavering on his feet.

"Alpha!" Billy cried, running over to their robot friend. "What happened?"

"Rangers, Power Rangers, come in, I need help." He said, his voice sounding even more like a robot than usual.

"What's wrong with him?" Trini asked.

"Someone must have fed a virus into his databank."

"Billy, can you help him?" Billy looked Alpha over, searching for any signs as to the virus' origins.

"Affirmative!" he said, noticing a disk stuck into Alpha's back. Pulling it out, Alpha stopped twitching and turned to face the Rangers.

"Power Rangers you are here!" he cried, joy filling his voice box.

"Alpha, who did this to you? Where's Zordon?" Zack asked.

"My memory chips have been scrambled. Aye yai yai!"

"Well someone broke in."

"But who? Nobody has access here unless they have a Power Coin."

"The Green Ranger." Kim said. "Evil or not, if he's a Power Ranger he has to have a Power Coin, right?"

"An evil Power Ranger?" Alpha questioned.

"Yeah, a green one joined Goldar and the putties in attacking the city." Answered Jason.

"But that's impossible! A Power Ranger cannot be evil, the Power Coins were created with entirely positive energy. They cannot be turned evil."

"But what about the user?" Billy asked. "Rita's magic was able to turn Kim and I evil, or into bullies anyways. Could the person using the Green Ranger powers be turned evil and then be using the Green Ranger powers for evil, even though the powers themselves are not?"

"It is possible. But who could the Green Ranger be?"

"That's what we gotta find out." Jason said. "But we also have to get Zordon back."

"Trini, Alpha and I will begin repairing the Command Centre. We'll work on locating Zordon as well." Said Billy, not wasting any time and moving to the nearest control panel. Just then the alarm blared and the Viewing Globe lit up, showing the Green Ranger attacking with his Dragonzord.

"I guess that leaves us with him then." Muttered Zack.

"Alright back to action!" called Jason and he, Kim and Zack teleported out. Their fight was long, as was the repairing of the Command Centre, which had to be stalled as Billy and Trini were needed in battle. By the end of the day, the Rangers were bruised and tired, having barely been able to hold off the Green Ranger, and they were no closer to finding Zordon.

For the rest of the week, when Kim was not fighting Rita and her Green Ranger, she was trying to figure out the mystery that was Tommy Oliver. Tommy had seemingly changed overnight. He went from being a nice guy who saved her from Bulk and Skull, to ignoring her and being rude whenever he couldn't ignore her. After their first such encounter Kim questioned whether the connection she had felt was real at all. She had been sure Tommy had felt it too, but the one thing she knew about the connection was that it was a good, positive feeling. She hesitated to use the word love, though if she was honest with herself that's exactly what it felt like. Tommy's actions and attitude towards her, however, bespoke the exact opposite, and so Kim questioned what she felt, though she still knew she felt something. Every time she tried to talk to Tommy he brushed her off, only for her to feel his eyes on her all throughout class…and lunch, and after school at the Youth Centre. It was as if he couldn't get his mind off her, though by his actions she had no idea why, and she was beginning to get frustrated by all the mysteries currently in her life.

The battles with the Green Ranger became bigger and more intense and Kimberly could have sworn the Green Ranger had singled her out in battle more than once. His Dragonzord was as powerful, if not more powerful, then all their Zords combined and the Rangers were finding that they, and their Zords, were coming out of each battle more and more scathed. They knew it was only a matter of time until they didn't come out of a battle alive. But they also knew they had to keep fighting. Earth was counting on them. Though they lost more and more battles, their resolve strengthened each time they saw the destruction the Green Ranger caused, and so they continued to fight. A break came at the end of the week when Billy and Alpha were finally able to locate Zordon and bring him back. With the return of their mentor the Rangers were able to get some answers to their many questions, mainly as to the identity of the Green Ranger.

"Aw man."

"No way."

"Kimberly, look."

"I don't believe it…Tommy?" Kim gasped, unbidden tears forming in her eyes. Trini pulled her into a hug and Kim hid her tears against her shoulder.

'_Why am I crying?' _she thought. _'I barely know him. We've talked once before he turned into a jerk. Though now I guess I know why he turned into a jerk.'_

"We have to find him and reverse Rita's spell." She said to her friends, quickly wiping her tears away. Jason nodded, something wasn't right with Kim, and hadn't been for over a week now, but whatever it was would have to wait.

"We'll split up and look for him." He said taking charge. "If you find him contact the rest of us immediately, do not approach him, we know what he's capable of and if he learns we know his identity, who knows what he'll do." Everyone nodded and teleported out, starting with the park, school and Youth Centre.

Kim landed in the back of the Youth Centre, somehow knowing she'd find Tommy there. Heading into the main room, she sighed when her suspicion was correct and she spotted him lifting weights. Looking around and noticing everyone going about their normal business, not paying any attention to her, she approached him, knowing Jase would be angry with her, but also knowing Tommy couldn't do anything in such a public place without blowing his identity to all.

"Tommy," she said in a pained voice when she was near enough to not be heard by anyone else. "Tommy I know. I know you're the Green Ranger." The weights slammed down as Tommy turned to face her, letting them drop in the process.

"Well then Pink Ranger, you should also know that the Power Rangers will soon be destroyed."

"Let us help you. We can break Rita's spell."

"Rita is my Empress. I serve her willingly."

"Please." She begged. "Let us help you." Tommy slowly stood up and walked forwards until he towered over her.

"I do not need or want your help, Pink Ranger. But you had better be more cautious." Raising his hand he gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Approaching me alone like this was very foolish. You never know what might happen." Dropping his hand he bent down to pick up his gym bag. "Be careful, Pink Ranger. You have been warned."

Kim did not tell the others about Tommy's threat, only mentioning that she had found him and approached him, bowing her head in the appropriate shame when the expected outburst from her friends came. Later that day they fought Tommy again and this time he really did a number on her. There was a moment when Kim thought he was going to capture her. Getting the upper hand, he twisted her arm behind her back and held on. Kim felt a power surge around them and a feeling similar to when they teleported built up inside her. However, whatever the feeling was, was interrupted by Jason as he tackled the Green Ranger away from Kim. Dread filled in her stomach and she knew Tommy's threat had been serious. She knew she'd have to watch her back from then on.

**-T/K-**

A couple days passed with no change in the pattern that was quickly becoming their lives. Though Tommy's threat was still in her mind, Kim grew more complacent as the days passed and he made no attempts beyond the usual battles. She stopped watching her back all the time, her mind jumping between Tommy's threat and the conviction she so wanted to believe: that he would never harm her. Late one night after a battle, Kim was walking home when she heard loud footfalls behind her. She turned and fell into a fighting stance, her time as a Ranger giving her great reaction time, but the sound stopped when she turned, and no one was there. Not dropping her guard, Kim looked around telling herself she hadn't been crazy and had heard something, but when a few minutes passed with no sign of anyone else on the street but her, she moved to continue on her way. When she turned, she was met with a flash of green, and strong arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her against him and a hand clamping over her mouth, stifling her scream before it even had time to build in her throat.

"Hello Kimberly." Said a voice she recognized as Tommy's before everything went black.

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**A/N - Brand new fic which I'm really excited about! As you can see I have abandoned Tommy/Kat for Tommy/Kim which is (in my opinion) the ultimate power couple and my personal favourite (as to why I wrote Tommy/Kat if I'm such a Tommy/Kim fan blame whatever inspiration hit me at the time).**

**Anything you recognize has been taken right from the show, some copied dialogue and such, which will happen again. I will try to keep true to the Power Rangers universe even though we divert from canon.**

**This fic starts at the beginning of the Green With Evil saga (obviously) and will span through to Turbo when they give up their powers, though not everything (certainly not every episode) will be covered and there will be some time jumps, but a couple months at the most. The early chapters of this fic are a bit dark, this fic is rated M, but though I won't shy away from the darkness there will be nothing too graphic.**

**The fic is 94.7% written so updates should be fairly regular, especially in the beginning as it's the end that's not quite written yet.**

**Review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Out of Control

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.  
_

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**Chapter 2 – Out of Control**

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Kim slowly came to, thinking for a moment that it was the next day and she had simply woken before her alarm. However, when she reached over for her favourite stuffed bear and came up with nothing she realized that this was not her bed and she was not at home. The memory of last night returned and she sat up quickly, looking around for clues as to where Tommy had taken her, though there wasn't much to look at. She was sitting on a bed, a rather comfy bed she grudgingly admitted, which was facing an empty wall. To her left there was a door, which she saw led to a bathroom. To her right was the rest of the room, which itself was pretty large, but except for the bed, the only other objects in the room were a dresser and the torches on the walls. She looked past the dresser and saw there was an open balcony with a perfect view of Earth.

'_Shit' _she thought. '_I'm on the Moon.'_ Deciding not to waste anymore time, for she was alone right now, Kim got up and started for the balcony, intending to Morph and get out of there. Two things happened almost simultaneously. First she realized that her Morpher and communicator were both gone. Second, when she took more then three steps, she was stopped by a tug on her arm. Turning around, she saw that attached to her arm was a shackle and chain that attached to the bed.

"Great." Said Kim out loud as she pulled on the chain trying to loosen it. It was a futile attempt, she learned quickly. Sighing she went back to the bed and sat down, thinking what to do next.

"I'm chained to a bed in a room with one exit which is to the surface of the Moon." She muttered. "I have no Morpher or communicator, and with the limitations of one hand and three feet of space, fighting is pretty damn useless. I'm pretty much defenseless against an evil Power Ranger, and a man who's a foot and a half taller then me, and twice my weight. Fuck." She tried not to panic, but the realization that she was defenseless against an evil, unpredictable giant, who seemed to have a weird obsession with her, was starting to win.

"Glad to see you realize your position." Said a voice from the balcony. Kim jumped to her feet and turned to face said evil, unpredictable giant.

"What do you want with me Tommy?" she asked, straightening to her meagre height and trying to appear brave. He walked over to her and stood right in front of her, forcing her to look up at him.

"I just wanted to spend time with you." He said. "Our meeting was interrupted before."

"You could have talked to me at school." She replied, to which he let out a small chuckle.

"School, with your friends and teachers always in our way? No, this is much better. No interruptions." He leaned into her and ran a hand down her cheek. "No one to rescue you, or hear you scream." Kim shuddered at his words.

"Let me go Tommy." She said, wincing at her pleading tone. "We can help you. We can free you from Rita's spell. This isn't you."

"Of course this is me. I serve my Empress and she lets me have what I want; you." He walked her backwards till her knees hit the bed and she fell onto it. Tommy bent forwards, looming over her. "And I want you, Kimberly. Have since I laid eyes on you. And now you're mine. You'll never escape me." He slammed his lips down to hers in a bruising kiss. He allowed her no accommodation and pushed her back against the pillows, climbing on top of her. When the need for air became too much, he pulled apart but began trailing kisses along her neck, biting down occasionally and marking her skin. Kim's breath came rapidly, partially from lack of air, and partially from the realization of where this was heading.

"Tommy, you don't have to do this. Fight her spell. Let me go and we'll help you!" In response Tommy grabbed the front of her blouse and ripped it open, sending buttons flying everywhere. Kim breathed in sharply and closed her eyes, seeing the way Tommy took in her lace-bra clad breasts. She thought she heard him murmur _'so beautiful' _before her bra and what was left of her shirt were ripped away as well. Kim began to fight him as his hands began undoing her jean shorts. She shoved at him but he didn't give way at all. He did, however, wave his hand and Kim found her arms being pulled toward the headboard as the chain wrapped around her other wrist, trapping her arms above her head. In that short amount of time, Tommy had removed both her shorts and underwear, leaving her completely naked and at his mercy. She refused to allow the tears building in her eyes to fall, instead she focused on how this was not really Tommy; how it was all a spell and not him. As Tommy's hands roamed over her she tensed, drawing his attention.

"You've never done this before." He said, more a statement then a question, though Kim shook her head no. He smiled, liking that no other man had touched her and went back to his ministrations. After a few minutes, in which her body had barely responded to him, Tommy stopped and stood up; Kim opened her eyes, feeling his touch leave her body.

"I'm not going to take you now." He said. "We'll work up to that. But make no mistake, I will have you, willing or not. If you co-operate you might even enjoy yourself." He snapped his fingers and the chain released one of her wrists, going back to its original position. "You won't be able to get out of that, so don't even try. It's magically enchanted to stretch to the bathroom, and only to the bathroom. Take whatever you want from there." He said, turning to point to the dresser. "I'll be back with food at some point." That said, he walked towards the balcony and disappeared.

Kim sat up slowly and became very aware of her nakedness with that wide-open balcony. Why, she didn't know as it wasn't like anyone lived on the Moon to be able to see in. She saw her torn clothes on the floor about six feet away where they had been flung. She dismissed them as useless even if she had been able to reach them, and instead went to the dresser. She opened the first drawer and found lace and gauzy see through material, and lots of it. Obviously he intended for her body to be on display for him when he returned.

'_What a typical teenage male. Always thinking with their dick rather than their brain.' _She thought as she slammed the drawer shut and opened the second one. Inside were a couple thick blankets. _'At least he doesn't intend for me to freeze.'_ Closing that one too and opening the last drawer she found some green and black t-shirts and sweatpants. _'His clothes.'_ She pulled them out and saw immediately that they would be way too large on her. _'Probably thought I wouldn't want to wear something so big. Well tough luck for him.' _She pulled the t-shirt over her head and let it drop to her knees. Pulling the sweats on she discovered that they wouldn't stay up, but a quick pull on the drawstring fixed that. She rolled the pant legs up four or five times until they hung only to her ankles, cursing her small height the entire time. With nothing else to do, Kim climbed back onto the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She stared at Earth for awhile wondering how long she had been missing and if her friends were already looking for her. She thought of her parents, her divorced parents, and her step-dad. She was staying with her mom and step-dad this week and wondered if they had raised the alarm at her absence, or if her friends were covering for her. With thoughts of her friends and family running through her head, Kim finally let the tears fall and cried until she fell into a fitful sleep.

**-T/K-**

Tommy didn't return till late, long after Kim had fallen asleep. He chose not to wake her, instead he stood over her, gazing at her with something akin to affection. He saw immediately that she had chosen to wear his clothes instead of the lingerie he had provided. Instead of being mad at her for her obvious defiance, he found he enjoyed seeing her in his clothes. He saw too that her face was red and stained with tears, having obviously cried herself to sleep. He felt a pang of something deep inside him, something both familiar and new; something strong that was obviously fighting to be released, but with the spell's help, he ignored it. He bent down and ran a finger down her cheek before kissing her on the forehead.

'_You're mine Kimberly.'_ He thought. _'Soon you will learn to accept me. You are mine.'_

**-T/K-**

The next day Kim woke up to find the room empty. Tommy had obviously been there at some point, as there was food on the dresser next to the bed. Kim sighed; she had been hoping that it had all been a dream. Getting out of bed, she went to use the bathroom and then decided to have a nice long bath. As the tub was filling with water she went back to the dresser where the food was and ate bits of sausage and eggs. An hour later, Kim's bath was disturbed by the return of Tommy. She had her eyes closed, enjoying the feel of the hot water when she felt a tug on the chain still attached to her arm. She opened her eyes to see Tommy standing in the doorway holding a big fluffy green towel. Kim frowned, but took the hint and pulled the plug on her bath. She held her hand out for the towel, however was met with an amused laugh.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before." He said, to which Kim's frown deepened. However, she stood up and allowed him to wrap the towel around her and pat her dry. He then led her into the bedroom where she saw a long dark green dress laid out on the bed.

'_If it can even qualify as a dress.' _She thought. The top was a low cut corset with off the shoulder sleeves that looked tight till the elbow where they cut off in the front to have long flowing material at the back. The bottom half went down to the floor, though Kim could see there was a long slit up the side that she was sure would be bordering on indecent. _'Typical guy.'_ She thought again. Aloud she said,

"Yea, I think I'll stick with the oversized t-shirt and sweats."

"I got that especially for you." He said, to which Kim replied,

"Again, I'll stick with the t-shirt and sweats." She went around the bed, intent on getting clothes out of the dresser herself, but found that the drawer wouldn't open.

"Tommy." She said, getting annoyed. "Open the drawer."

"Your clothes are on the bed."

"That is not clothes!" she yelled, whirling around to face him. All her anger and frustration that had been building up came out at once. In the back of her mind she knew she should probably be scared, given how he had said that he'd 'work up' to raping her, but she also knew that if he wanted her dead, or wanted to hurt her, he'd have done it already. She knew the real Tommy was in there fighting against Rita's magic and that's why he was taking care of her, albeit in a sick, twisted kinda way because of the spell.

"That is…I don't even know what that is, but it is not clothes and there is no way in hell I'm putting that on! You've already seen me naked, you've already…touched me, and now you've got me standing here in nothing but a towel, still chained to your fucking bed." She held up her left arm and heard the satisfying clink of the chain links. "Isn't that enough?" Kimberly could see Tommy's face darken the more she yelled but was beyond caring. She held his gaze, refusing to be the one to break eye contact. After what seemed like hours of waiting for his reaction but in reality was only a few moments, Tommy stalked towards Kimberly coming to a stop directly in front of her.

"No, it isn't." he all but breathed as he ripped the towel away from her and shoved her naked body down onto the bed. "You are mine, do you understand that?" he climbed on top of her, bracing himself so as not to crush her, but allowed his hips to press down against hers. "Mine to do what I want with. I was generous yesterday, I refrained from taking you last night, feeling you weren't ready." Kim gasped and brought her hands up to shove him off only to have the chain wrap around the headboard again, claiming her other arm and restraining her like last night. "I'd say you're even less ready today. Maybe I should just take you now, if you're just going to throw my generosity in my face." Tears of fear and sadness came to her eyes and Kim couldn't hold them back even if she wanted to.

"Would you really Tommy? Could you really do that to me?" she murmured. Seeing her tears had the pang of guilt, and that unknown force, rushing back to Tommy. He stared into her eyes, seeing her undiluted fear of him…and stopped. His anger, his desire, his intent all left him as he took in the quivering girl beneath him. A voice in the back of his mind was yelling at him that this was wrong, but it was as if the voice was clouded in a haze. The moment the voice spoke up, a pain shot through his head and the haze grew larger and all his anger, desire and intent returned to him; but still something stopped him from continuing. Instead he blinked to clear his head and drew back a bit, but kept his gaze trained on her.

"Only if you make me, Kimberly." He answered, still unsure if he would actually go through with it, but needing to get back in control. "If you behave, I can be good to you. I'll take care of you, and I need never hurt you. But never disobey me again." Kim nodded, knowing he balanced precariously on the edge, and one wrong move could topple him over. She saw he was fighting himself, and knew what he was fighting was the spell. Her words and genuine fear had reached him on some level. Maybe she could talk to him, reason with him, reach him again and help him break the spell.

Seeing her submission, Tommy got off her and waved his hand to release the chain, allowing her to sit up. Kim didn't waste time sitting there, instead she reached for the dreaded dress and pulled it over her head. Like she had thought, the slit was ridiculously high, but she said nothing and reached behind her looking for a zipper. Instead she was met with laces and her hands were quickly pushed aside by Tommy's as he came up behind her and began tying the laces. Kim could feel that his movements were sharp, and somewhat harder then necessary. He tightened the corset more then needed, but thankfully stopped before her breathing was impaired. She did note, however, that the tightness of the corset pushed her relatively small breasts up until she had some cleavage, which, she supposed, was the point. Having finished, Tommy turned Kim around and looked at her. He stared at her until she cleared her throat when she began to feel awkward. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when an explosion rang through the palace.

"What the hell?" he muttered. "Stay here." He ordered Kim before he ran to the balcony and disappeared.

"As if I could go anywhere." Muttered Kim. She sat down on the bed and once again tried to loosen the chain holding her prisoner. Minutes passed and Kim began to wonder what was going on that was taking Tommy so long. She mentally slapped herself for thinking that, knowing she shouldn't want him to come back. Suddenly her solitude was ended when a flash of red and blue entered her peripheral vision. Her head snapped up and she came face to face with the Red and Blue Power Rangers.

"Jason, Billy!" she cried, jumping to her feet, happiness overwhelming her.

"Kim!" cried Jason as he and Billy ran forward. They stopped, however, when their brains actually registered what she was wearing.

"What has he done to you?" Jason asked, steel hardening his voice.

"Nothing but dress me like some…medieval whore." She said trying to assuage his protectiveness, though refrained from rolling her eyes at him, deciding that in this case it was warranted. "Now isn't the time. Get me out of here." She demanded, holding up her left arm so they could see the chain.

"Uh, right." Stammered Jason, not liking, Kim calling herself a whore. "Power Sword!" he cried, calling on his weapon and bringing it down on the chain which Kim and Billy had pulled tight to give him a clear shot. The chain fell away, leaving the shackle and a few links locked to her wrist, but freeing her from the bed.

"Yes!" she cried.

"Come on, we must leave immediately." Said Billy.

"Trini, Zack, we have her. Teleport out!" commanded Jason as he and Billy prepared to teleport themselves.

"What about my Morpher?" asked Kim.

"Zack and Trini should have reclaimed it by now. They were to communicate if their mission failed." Answered Billy.

"What he said." Said Jason as both Zack and Trini confirmed they were teleporting out. Hearing the others were leaving safely, Jason and Billy activated the teleportation device on their Morphers and teleported all three of them out. They landed in the Command Centre seconds after Zack and Trini. Kim found herself the subject of a group hug when Trini nearly tackled her and the others followed close behind.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" said Trini, as she and the others de-Morphed mid hug.

"Yea, we were worried about ya!" said Zack. The others stepped back allowing Zack, Trini, Zordon and Alpha to get a good look at her. Their faces immediately fell.

"Oh Kim. He…did he…?" asked Trini. Kim shook her head.

"No. He's just a typical teenage guy with a one track mind and the powers to actually go through with some of his fantasies." She said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Just a teenage guy? There's no 'just' about him." Said Jason as he took off his sweater and shoved it over Kim's head, effectively covering her.

"IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU RETURNED SAFELY, KIMBERLY." Said Zordon. Looking down on her and the others with kind, fatherly eyes.

"Thanks Zordon."

"Oh, here, your Morpher." Said Zack, pulling it out of his pocket. Kim squealed and grabbed it, kissing the Power Coin and holding onto it for dear life. Her reaction garnered a laugh from those gathered but it was short lived as a flash of green entered the Command Centre.

"Hello Rangers." Said a pissed off Green Ranger. The others whirled around to face him, Jason shoving Kimberly behind him.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get in here?" he demanded.

"Your Command Centre is protected only against those without a Power Coin. As for the reason why, you have something of mine." Kim could feel his gaze locked on her through his visor and shuddered, hoping that they could defeat him, for she knew things wouldn't go well for her if Tommy captured her again.

"Kim is not yours! She's not a possession!" snarled Jason, Zack, Billy and Trini backing him up.

"I beg to differ. Kimberly, come with me now and I'll leave the Rangers and your precious Command Centre in one piece." For a moment Kim thought about doing what he asked, not wanting anyone to get hurt, but Jason's grip on her tightened and held her back.

"TOMMY, YOU ARE SAFE FROM RITA HERE IN THE COMMAND CENTRE. LET US HELP YOU BREAK HER EVIL SPELL. YOU ARE NOT EVIL." Said Zordon.

"You're wrong about that. I am evil. And I willingly serve my Empress." Tommy called on the Sword of Darkness and levelled it directly at Zordon. "Now return to me what is mine, or feel my wrath." The Rangers moved quickly, going to block Zordon from the attack and Morphing on the go. However, Tommy had not only predicted their reaction, he had orchestrated it; and when they moved to protect Zordon, they left Kim and the control panel open. Tommy jumped in the opposite direction and slashed the control panel, blasting it to bits before he spun around and grabbed Kimberly about the waist.

"I told you you could never escape me." He murmured in her ear. Kim had just enough time to throw her Morpher across the room so it didn't fall into evil hands again before she was teleported out. They landed back in the same room Kim had just left. The moment she regained her footing, Kim pushed against Tommy, breaking free of his hold. She said nothing, knowing anything she might say would probably only anger him more. Tommy was glad for her silence and took a few calming breaths before de-Morphing and turning to face the petite woman standing across from him.

"Disobeying me again already? I told you to stay put and not try to escape." Were the first words out of his mouth.

"I didn't try to escape, an escape found me. And did you honestly expect me to stay here when my friends came to rescue me?" She retorted.

"You agreed never to disobey me again!" he roared.

"I was alone and scared and defenseless!" she yelled right back. "You were about to rape me! I was terrified, of course I was going to agree with whatever you said!" He stalked towards her, his eyes flashing green in anger.

"I could have been good to you, I would have done almost anything for you. If only you stay here and obey me!" he voice was quiet but the anger was still there.

"And become what? Your slave? Your sex slave? An object for you to use however you want? To dress up like some whore for your amusement? To tie me up and violate me for your own sick pleasure? Please tell me if I'm missing something here, because none of that sounds like a reason for me to willingly stay here!" Tommy said nothing, but neither did he back down. Silence reigned between them for a while until Kim's anger mostly left her.

"Tommy," She started. "This isn't you. You're a good person, Tommy. Rita has you under her spell, and if you'd let us help you break free-"

"This again." Snarled Tommy, breaking away from her.

"Yes, this again! I've seen the real you, Tommy." She followed him and grabbed his arm forcing him to look at her. "The real you that saves some unknown girl from school yard bullies. Who smiles and laughs and has people who care about him. Who sees a terrified girl chained to his bed about to be raped and stops. You stopped, Tommy. I could see it in your eyes; you stopped and for a moment you realized that what you were doing was wrong. Doesn't that tell you something? Doesn't that tell you that something isn't right here?" Tommy gained a faraway look and Kim knew she was starting to reach him. "We care about you, Tommy; me, the other Rangers, Zordon, your parents. We all care about you. And I don't blame you, Tommy, for any of this, because this isn't really you. No matter how angry or frustrated or scared I get, I don't blame you. I don't blame you." Tommy grabbed his head as a sudden pounding headache tore through him. The voice in the back of his mind grew louder, agreeing with Kimberly. "Fight it, Tommy!" Kim said as she knelt beside him. "Fight the spell!" For a few moments it looked like Tommy might just break the spell. However, with a loud roar Tommy stood up, toppling Kim over, and began breathing heavily. When he turned to her, Kim could see his eyes flashing green again, and knew the spell still held on.

"I am under no spell, I serve my Empress willingly. Whether you care about me or not doesn't matter. You are mine and I'll make sure you can never escape me again." He bent down and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down and waved his hand. Kim heard the clink of metal and looked down to see the chain had reattached itself.

"Oh, Tommy." Murmured Kim sadly. Tommy took no note of her sadness, instead he grabbed the front of Jason's sweatshirt that Kim still wore and tore it down the middle, yanking it off her body. With another wave of his hand, Kim was turned around and pulled toward the headboard, the chain wrapping around it and locking itself to her other wrist so she rested on her stomach. Kim felt the bed dip under Tommy's weight seconds before she felt him begin to untie the laces of her dress.

"What are you doing?" she asked, turning her head to try and see.

"Making sure you don't escape again." He replied. She felt him place his palm over the middle of her lower back and heard him begin to speak in words she didn't understand. A couple moments later she began to feel the skin under his palm start to tingle and quickly grow into a sharp stabbing pain. She cried out, pulling on the chains to try and get away from the pain. She didn't get very far and Tommy's hand remained in place. Moments later, though it felt like a lot longer to Kim, the pain subsided and Tommy withdrew his hand, waving it to release the chains. Kim immediately sat up, her free arm going to her back where she could feel an indentation where smooth skin used to be.

"What did you do?" she asked him.

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**A/N - Happy Canada Day!**  
**  
Updates will generally not be this regular, though I estimate a chapter per week.**

**Review please!**


	3. Tommy's Battle

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

**A/N - Heads up, this chapter is darker than the others, but this will be about as dark as it gets.**

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**Chapter 3 – Tommy's Battle**

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"What did you do?" she asked him.

"I bound you to me." He replied. Kim's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Bound me to you?"

"Yes. It is an ancient spell I found in one of my Empress' spell books. It binds your life force to me. Your life is now literally under my control. I can make you do whatever I want, say whatever I want. You can never go against me. Disobey me and that mark I left on you will burn. And you can never leave me."

"How's that going to work in battle if I always have to tag along?" she asked, trying to find humour, or something not entirely negative, in all this.

"Oh no, my life force is not tied to yours. _I_ can leave _you_ all I want. But if you leave me, willingly or not, meaning if your Power Ranger friends try to rescue you again and take you away from me, the mark will burn, causing you excruciating pain. Pain only I can alleviate. And if you don't return to me fast enough, you will die." Kim gasped and felt tears sting her eyes. She jumped up and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and not caring that it bounced back open due to her restraint. She sank to the floor leaning against the side of the tub and silently cried, sobbing into her knees. When her sobs subsided she stood up and slowly approached the mirror above the sink. She turned around and took a good look at the mark on her lower back. The mark in the shape of a dragon claw, the same as on Tommy's Power Coin, that marked her as his. Tommy allowed her some time to herself but eventually he did come in and lead her back into the main room. He said nothing to her, but was obviously aware of how vulnerable she was feeling for he very gently turned her away from him and laced her dress back up.

"I still don't blame you Tommy." She whispered, saying it more for her benefit then his. He responded by giving a sharp tug on the laces just before he tied them off, letting her know those comments were unwelcomed. Once finished, he turned her around and their eyes met, taking in the look of sadness and forgiveness in hers and the hard glint in his that softened somewhat when he looked at her. With only a little hesitation, Tommy bent down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, far unlike the hard bruising kisses from yesterday. Kim found she enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers when his kiss wasn't full of possession and dominance. All too soon he broke away from her and both were left breathless. Tommy waved his hand and Kim felt the shackle fall away. She looked up at him questioningly.

"The Rangers need to know they can't take you from me now." He said, pulling her to him. Kim felt the familiar feeling of teleportation and seconds later they appeared in the park. Tommy held on to Kim's arm, ensuring she couldn't get away from him as he waited for the Rangers to show up. He knew they'd see him appear in the park with Kim and it was only a matter of time until they came. Sure enough, a couple short minutes later, the Rangers teleported in in their signature beams of light. They appeared un-Morphed, just like Tommy was, knowing somehow that he wasn't there for a fight.

"What do you want, Tommy?" demanded Jason. "I doubt you're here to let Kim go."

"Actually that's exactly why I'm here, Red Ranger." Said Tommy, an arrogant smile gracing his face. Everyone, Kim included, looked at him like he was crazy. It had to be a trap. As if reading their minds Tommy answered,

"This isn't a trap, you can even ask Kimberly. I've come alone, simply to return her to you. Here." He said pushing Kimberly forward. She stumbled a bit and Jason and Zack reached out to catch her, though their eyes never left Tommy.

"Go ahead, you have her now; teleport back to your Command Centre."

"This is too easy." Muttered Jason. Kim opened her mouth to tell them about the bonding spell, but Tommy interrupted her.

"Go now before I change my mind." He said, pulling out his Morpher. The others didn't wait around to see if he was serious or not, they teleported out of there. Tommy smiled and put his Morpher away. He went to sit on a near by bench, knowing it wouldn't be long before they returned. Barely five minutes had passed when the Rangers appeared again, all four of them looking terrified at a screaming Kimberly, withering in Jason's arms. Tommy stood up and walked towards them but Zack and Billy blocked his path.

"What did you do to her?!" Jason roared, absolutely enraged.

"Unless you want her to stay in pain and eventually die from it I suggest you move aside." Replied Tommy, not halting in his steps and walking right passed Zack and Billy who didn't really try to stop him. He reached Jason and held out his arms. Jason hesitated but hearing another anguished cry from Kim he handed her over. Tommy took her into his arms, cradling her against him. The moment Tommy's hands touched her bare skin Kim stopped screaming. The Rangers looked on as the pain, which only seconds ago was obviously raging through her body, disappeared completely, leaving Kim breathing hard as she turned further into Tommy, gaining comfort from his presence.

"What did you do to her?" Jason asked once again, though his time it was barely more then a whisper. Tears were streaming down his face and he seemed broken having seen his sister go through that much pain, only to have it stop when she was in the arms of their enemy. Jason's appearance was reflected by his teammates who all seemed at a loss.

"I have bound her to me." Replied Tommy as he stood up, sweeping a barely conscious Kim into his arms. "She cannot leave me, nor can you take her from me. If you do…well you've seen what will happen. The pain will only stop through my touch and if she stays away too long, she'll die."

"How could you do something like that?" asked Trini, who was practically sobbing onto Billy's shoulder.

"Simple. She belongs to me." That said he teleported out, leaving four distraught teens in his wake. Arriving back in his room, Tommy laid Kimberly gently on his bed. She was barely conscious; keeping her eyes open through sheer will alone.

"Tommy." She murmured. "Why…?" she let the question hang knowing he'd understand her.

"I didn't want to put you through that, but it was necessary so the Rangers didn't try something stupid." He responded. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Tommy shushed her with a soft kiss. "Sleep." He said. "Regain your strength." Kim didn't have the strength to fight him and gave in to the sleep that had threatened to overtake her. Tommy sat beside her for a while just staring at her sleeping form. He swept a stray lock of hair out of her face and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Deciding to let her sleep for a bit, Tommy stood up and waved his hand, watching as the shackle attached itself to her arm again. He didn't like keeping her locked up, but he still couldn't trust her not to leave this room. He knew she wouldn't try to escape, not now she knew the consequences, but she might try to wander the halls of the palace, and he didn't want Rita or Goldar to get their hands on her. She was protected while in this room; and he intended to keep her protected from any harm.

'_Except from me.'_ The voice in his head said, having returned when he saw her withering in pain. Tommy pushed the voice aside and walked towards the balcony, disappearing in a flash of green.

**-T/K-**

Kim woke up sometime later, unsure exactly how long she had slept as the dark expanse of space that was now her sky, didn't betray the time of day. Kim ate the food that Tommy had brought her while she slept and, with nothing else to do, decided to have another bath. She took note that she was still shackled to the bed and decided to talk to Tommy about that when he returned. It wasn't like she was going to escape now that she knew what would happen. She shuddered as she remembered the pain, she was most definitely not eager to repeat it. After a couple hours, when the water had finally gotten too cold for her to stay in, Kim got out of the tub and dried herself off. Tommy had not returned and she didn't know how long he'd be away. She debated about putting on one of his t-shirts and sweats again, but decided against it. She didn't know what kind of mood he'd be in when he returned and it was better at this point just to give in and wear the stupid dress. She sat on the bed for awhile, looking out of the balcony at the Earth and stars, but they only held her attention for so long. Eventually, Kim climbed back under the covers and fell asleep out of sheer boredom. She awoke not long after to the dip of the bed under Tommy's weight. She opened her eyes and sat up, holding the front of the dress to her as she had been unable to tie the back herself. She stopped short when she looked into his eyes. Something was very different. His eyes were empty. Gone was the kind Tommy who tried to make things better for her. Gone was the hesitation when he pushed things further then before.

"Tommy what's going on?" she asked. He didn't answer her, but pushed her back so she was lying on her back. With a wave of his hand, her arms were pulled upwards and she was once again chained to the headboard. "Tommy, you're scaring me." Again his answer didn't come in words but in actions. He grabbed the skirt of her dress and ripped it away from her, flinging it behind him, then grabbed the corset and ripped it away from her body too. Once she was naked he stretched over her and claimed her mouth with his while running his hands all over her body. After a few moments he pulled away from her and began taking his clothes off, something he had not done before.

"Rita did this." Said Kim. "She did something to you."

"My Empress saw fit to give me more power." He responded before throwing his clothes aside and climbing back on top of her. Kim knew tonight he wasn't going to stop. Rita had done something to him that had strengthened the spell, and he was too far gone to fight it.

"It's ok, Tommy." She said, biting back her fear and trying to accept what was about to happen. "This isn't really you, it's Rita, it's not your fault." She felt him position himself and let out an involuntary shudder. He hadn't tried at all to prepare her. She knew it was going to hurt; but knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. "I forgive you." She said just as he entered her in one swift thrust. She screamed as he broke through her barrier, but he didn't stop, didn't give her time to adjust to his size; every time he thrust back in elicited a cry of pain from her. It was those cries that awoke something in the back of Tommy's mind. Something that broke through the unfeeling haze the spell created and told him how much pain she was in. The voice didn't go away, but grew louder and louder. Tommy fought against it, trying to push it back, but his actions only seemed to make the voice grow stronger. His movements became sporadic as the war in his head waged on. When Kim let out her loudest scream yet, the force fighting the spell burst forth and a loud screech was heard from deep within Tommy. It would be years before they learned what that screech was. The spell on Tommy shattered just as his body climaxed, emptying his seed deep inside Kim. Tommy collapsed on top of her, panting hard both from the physical exertion and the searing pain in his head. After a few minutes, Tommy's breathing returned to normal and his headache eased, allowing his mind to focus on the present, becoming aware of a trembling body beneath him and tight heat surrounding him. He propped himself up, bracing himself on his hands and brought his gaze to the young woman beneath him. Tears were silently streaming down her face but she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Kimberly...?" He muttered confused, only to have the memories of the past few days race back to him moments later. "Oh God." His eyes widened in horror, but she smiled up at him.

"You're back." She said, her voice raspy. "I knew you could break her spell."

"It wasn't me it was you. Or the realization of what I was doing to you." He said in one breath. "Oh God." He said once again. He looked down, realizing he was still inside her, and scrambled off her. She cried out as he moved in her once more, and breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled out, making the stabbing pain go away and leaving behind a dull ache. She instinctively brought her legs up to her chest and tried to pull her arms down as well, but only managed to grate her wrists on the shackles. Tommy bent down to grab his clothes but froze when he caught sight of the blood. He slowly turned to look at Kimberly, specifically the apex between her legs. He couldn't see much with her legs bent and up at her chest, but he could see enough to know there was blood. Repeating his new favourite saying "Oh God" Once more, he followed his instincts to flee. He got as far as the balcony before a thought had him stopping and turning around her face Kim. His eyes roamed over her confirming that he left her in pain, bleeding and chained to the bed. He sighed and realized no matter what his instincts might be telling him, he had to put Kim first. He stopped long enough to pull his pants on and shove his t-shirt over his head and went over to Kim. He unchained her first; murmuring apologies though he knew it would never be enough. With her arms free, she brought them down, curling into a ball. She gave a few shuddering breaths before she pushed herself up, intent on climbing off the bed. Tommy gently placed a hand on her shoulder and told her to stay lying down. He then went over to the bathroom and grabbed a cloth, wetting it in warm water. He brought it back to Kim and gently spread her legs, stalling when she tensed up.

"It's ok." He said. "No more, I promise. I'm not going to hurt you anymore. I just…I didn't think you'd want all the…blood to stay…" Kim relaxed a bit and spread her legs for him, allowing him to wipe away the blood and semen, revealing bruises dotting her inner thighs. Tommy frowned and continued until the cloth came out red and he realized she was still bleeding.

"Oh God." He said yet again. "Kimberly, we gotta get…I'm sorry, so sorry. I know saying sorry will never be enough-"

"It's not your fault, Tommy." She said, reaching down and laying a hand on his arm. "You were under a spell. That wasn't you." Tommy stiffened at her words and returned to his task, seeing the blood again reminded him he needed to get Kim out of here. He threw the blood soaked cloth over his shoulder, not caring where it landed, and went over to the dresser, opening the bottom drawer and taking out another green t-shirt and black sweats. He returned to Kim and saw that a small puddle of blood had formed on the sheets and Kim was starting to look incredibly pale.

"Shit." He said and ran back into the bathroom retrieving another cloth. He came back but hesitated, not really knowing what to do.

"Tommy what is it?" asked Kim.

"The blood." He said, his face nearly as white as hers. "There's so much blood. I wanna stop it, but I…" Kim sat up and looked down, seeing the growing puddle of blood, but also seeing it wasn't as bad as Tommy made it out to be. She smiled softly and took the cloth from him, rolling it into a thin roll and sticking it directly inside her at the source.

"Just like a tampon." She said.

"Not exactly." He replied, but left it at that. He reached for the clothes and gently dressed her, trying not to move her more then necessary.

"Come on, we gotta get you out of here." She nodded and tried to stand, but found she couldn't when the dull ache between her legs flared up when she moved. Tommy caught her when she stumbled and swung her up into his arms.

"Sorry. I should have known you couldn't walk."

"Hey, this is not your fault." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's Rita's fault, it was her spell. You would never have done it if you were in control."

"Yeah, but-"

"Are you really gonna fight me on this? After what just happened? Don't I at least deserve the right to blame who I want?" Kim smiled when he sighed in resignation. "And I'm not against using guilt to get what I want in this." He merely grunted but she felt him relax ever so slightly.

"So how are we getting back to Earth?" she asked. "Can you still use the powers Rita gave you and teleport out?" Tommy closed his eyes and concentrated on the Command Centre. They felt the familiar feel of teleportation and moments later were standing in the Command Centre.

"Aye yai yai intruder, intruder!" cried Alpha seeing Tommy.

"No, Alpha it's ok!" called Kim from her place in his arms. "He's back, Rita's spell has been broken."

"THAT IS INDEED GREAT NEWS." Said Zordon. Tommy turned him and Kimberly to face him.

"Zordon!" cried Kim, happy to see him again.

"IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU RETURNED SAFELY ONCE AGAIN, KIMBERLY, AND YOU AS WELL TOMMY. ALPHA, CONTACT THE OTHER RANGERS. THEY WILL WANT TO KNOW THEIR FRIENDS HAVE RETURNED UNHARMED."

"Right away Zordon!"

"Not exactly unharmed." Said Tommy, as Alpha contacted the other and told them to teleport in. It didn't take them long to arrive, when they heard Kim was back.

"Kim!" Jason's frantic voice closely followed his body as his teleportation beam disappeared. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Tommy growled in disagreement, but Kim interrupted anything he might say. "And before you go off on Tommy, he's broken through Rita's spell."

"And she's hurt." Said Tommy, speaking up. He walked towards Jason and handed Kimberly over to the Red Ranger. "Here. Whatever she says she's not fine. She needs medical attention. Now. And don't put her down she shouldn't be walking. Or moving for that matter." He sent Kim an anguished look before snapping his head back to Jason who hadn't moved. "Go! You have a medical bay, don't you? She needs help!"

"Uh right." Said Jason who turned and ran down the main chamber and through a door towards the medical bay. The moment he stepped out of sight of Tommy, however, Kim cried out in pain, causing him to stop.

"Kim!" he yelled, loud enough that the others in the main chamber heard him and came running.

"Tommy! Get Tommy!" she gasped as her lower back seared in pain.

"Tommy!" screamed Jason, not caring about his feelings towards the green clad man at the moment. The others stepped aside and allowed Tommy to come forwards. Seeing Kim in pain, his eyes widened in horror and he tried to think of the reason for it. Seeing his hesitation Kim muttered

"The mark." Those two words had Tommy running the last few steps and taking Kim into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, allowing her hands to touch the bare skin of his neck, giving the required skin to skin contact to appease the spell.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have remembered." He murmured. Tears streaming down his face though he could care less at this point. He kept causing her pain and all he wanted to do was crawl under a rock and die; but she needed him. Until they worked everything out, and they found a way to break the bonding spell he couldn't stray too far from her, never knowing what exactly would constitute her leaving him and would activate the spell. But finding a way to break the spell wasn't as important at the moment as getting Kim the medical attention she needed. Pushing his feelings aside, Tommy turned to Jason and asked him to lead the way to the medical bay. Jason merely nodded and began walking. He wanted so badly to hate Tommy for what he had done to his little sister, but seeing the way he held her, and the tears giving away his feelings and guilt, Jason couldn't find it in him at the moment. Once in the medical bay, Tommy laid Kim down on the bed and stood by her side as Billy, Trini and Alpha went to work. Billy brought over a scanner and held it over Kim's head, slowly running it down her body.

"There are no major internal injuries." He said. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief but Tommy knew he'd spoken too early, for he'd only run the scanner over her head and heart. Though he supposed those were usually the two main areas for concern. When he ran the scanner over her abdomen, Billy's face fell.

"Billy, what is it?" asked Trini, being the first to see his face.

"Um…there seems to be some internal injuries." He answered, blushing a little.

"What?" asked Zack. "Where?"

"Nowhere." Said Kim. She had hoped that they'd examine her manually, for they'd never dare or even think to examine her there, but she should have known better with Billy and his gadgets. She wasn't ashamed of what had happened, but she knew Tommy was, and she didn't want to bring it up and have her friends make a big deal out of it. "I'm fine. Those injuries are minor and I can take care of them." In one quick move she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She had just placed her feet on the ground when Tommy's arm shot out to steady her, knowing she couldn't stand. Sure enough, Kim's legs buckled and she let out a small cry of pain, latching on to Tommy. He lifted her off her feet and back onto the bed, scowling.

"Let them help you or I'm taking you to the hospital." He said. Kim shot him a dirty look, but he didn't back down. "I deserve that, and more for what I did to you. And it's because of what I did that I'm going to make sure you get the help you need. It's the least I can do." Her face softened and she nodded in reluctant acceptance.

"If I might suggest Kim may be taken to the hospital anyways." Spoke Billy. "I am not sure I am entirely comfortable delivering the treatment necessary."

"I'm not going to the hospital." Said Kim defiantly. "They'll ask too many questions."

"Is the treatment terribly difficult, Billy?" asked Trini, knowing Kim had a point. "Maybe I can do it."

"No, it should not be too hard, especially with our accelerated healing." Said Billy, relieved.

"And I will remain to assist where needed." Added Alpha. Billy and Trini nodded and he led her over to the table where the medical supplies, both regular and created by him or Alpha, where located and began explaining the process to Trini in hushed tones. None of the remaining four Rangers said a word as Trini and Alpha prepared. Both Zack and Jason now had no doubts as to what had taken place and where Kimberly was injured. They alternated between shooting glares at Tommy and concerned looks at Kim until Billy, Trini and Alpha returned. The Men all filed out of the room, none of them wanting to see what was happening, though one of them for a very different reason then the other three. When they entered the main chamber a tense silence reigned over them. Zordon floated in his energy tube like normal, but none of them spoke. Finally Tommy couldn't take it anymore and excused himself, saying he needed some air.

"I won't go far; can't until we work this spell out, but…yea." He said no more and headed for the door. When it closed behind him, the occupants breathed a sigh of relief. They really didn't know how to act around him right now.

"How bad is she, Billy?" asked Jason. Billy and Zack looked at him and to each other, wondering where Jason was going with this and if they wanted him to go there.

"We all know what happened, what he did. Now how bad is she, Billy?" he asked once again, having seen them hesitate. Billy sighed in resignation.

"There is extensive tearing to her vaginal walls." He said. His embarrassment on the subject had not diminished, but he was a Power Ranger and this was Ranger business, technically; he could move passed it. "I imagine she also sustained quite a bit of blood loss, and contusions of varying degrees. And as we have already seen, pain is most definitely a factor." Jason tensed but refrained from saying anything.

"JASON." Called Zordon. "YOUR ANGER AT WHAT KIMBERLY HAS BEEN THROUGH IS UNDERSTANDABLE. THE DIRECTION OF YOUR ANGER, HOWEVER, SHOULD NOT BE TOWARDS TOMMY."

"Then who should I be angry at?" snapped Jason, his control on his emotions wavering.

"RITA AND HER SPELL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TOMMY'S ACTIONS. IT IS A SIMILAR SITUATION TO WHEN BILLY AND KIMBERLY WERE UNDER RITA'S SPELL."

"They were turned into bullies for a couple days, not evil like he is!"

"YES, THE SEVERITY OF THE SPELLS IS INDEED DIFFERENT. HOWEVER, IN BOTH CASES, THEIR ACTIONS WERE OUT OF THEIR CONTROL; AS BILLY CAN ATEST TO." Billy nodded.

"Zordon's right, Jase. Kim and I were not in control of ourselves while under Rita's spell."

"That doesn't make me feel any better about-" he stopped mid sentence, seeing Kimberly walking into the main chamber with Trini's help.

"About what?" she asked.

"Kim! You shouldn't be out of bed!" scolded Zack, as he and Billy turned to face the girls.

"That's what I told her." Said Trini. "But you know how stubborn she can be."

"I'm fine. Trini fixed me up, my accelerated healing is kicking in. I came to find Tommy. Where is he?"

"He went to get some air."

"And you let him?" she cried. "Don't you know how self destructive he is right now? God only knows what he'll do!" she started to walk towards the door, but Jason stopped her when she passed by him.

"How can you go after him after what he-"

"Because it wasn't him!" she yelled, finally losing her temper. "He was under a spell. Rita used her magic on him and made him do things that weren't him. When he broke through, when he was him again, he couldn't believe what he had done and he brought me right back!" Everyone looked to her with a mix of sympathy and worry, not really sure what to make of her outburst.

"KIMBERLY," said Zordon. "YOU SPEAK WITH WISDOM BEYOND YOUR YEARS. WE WILL, OF COURSE, HELP TOMMY IN ANYWAY WE CAN. HOWEVER ZACHARY IS RIGHT, EVEN WITH YOUR ACCELERATED HEALING YOU NEED REST. IF YOU WISH TO HAVE TOMMY RETURN HERE, WE WILL CALL HIM. WHAT HAPPENS NOW, IS YOUR DECISION." Tears came to Kim's eyes and she allowed Zack and Jason to half-walk, half-carry her back to the medical bay where Trini pulled her into a big hug.

"I shall go find Tommy." Said Alpha, giving the Rangers time alone.

"I don't…you already know what happened and...I'm not crying 'cause I'm scared of him or anything." She said nearly incoherently. Trini held her as she cried for awhile, with Zack, Billy and Jason there offering support. When she cried herself out, she turned to her friends and spoke with a strong clarity.

"I don't blame him. It wasn't his fault, it was Rita's and I forgive him completely. And if I forgive him, so can all of you."

"If you really feel that way Kim, of course we will." Said Trini. Zack and Billy immediately nodded their agreement and after an 'I will hurt you if you don't agree' look from Trini, Jason too nodded his agreement.

"As much as I'm sure I'm really not gonna like it…I agree with Trini."

"Of course you do, Trini threatened you if you did otherwise." Said Kim, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, I'm trying to be the bigger person here!" said Jason, glad to see some playfulness back in Kim. Her smile widened and she launched herself forward, throwing her arms around him and holding on tight. Jason held her close for a bit before he placed her back on the bed.

"Now, rest." He ordered. Kim rolled her eyes but settled back into the bed obediently.

"Aye yai yai! Rangers, Tommy's gone!" cried Alpha, running back into the room as fast as his robotic legs could carry him.

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**A/N - Well there you go, you know what he did to her. As said before, this is as dark as this story's gonna get. At least it is so far and the story's 95% written. Tommy & Kim's thoughts/feelings on what happened is gonna be explored next chapter, especially Tommy's.**

**Early post cause I'm going away this weekend; there will be more than a few days before the next chap, and fair warning, chapters will be spaced out a bit more. Don't want anyone to get used to 3 chaps a week, cause it's gonna continue. Edited this chap when I should have been doing school work ;)**

**Review please!**


	4. Breaking the Spell

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers_

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**Chapter 4 – Breaking The Spell**

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"Aye yai yai! Rangers, Tommy's gone!" cried Alpha, running back into the room as fast as his robotic legs could carry him.

"What?!" They yelled as one.

"He is not outside, nor is he anywhere in the Command Centre." Said Alpha. "I've tracked his location to Angel Grove park."

"We can't leave him alone. Rita must be after him by now." Said Kim. She started to get up but Jason pushed her back down.

"We'll find him and bring him back safe, I promise. You rest." He ordered again. Kim sighed in frustration but nodded, knowing she wouldn't win this battle.

"Get him back fast guys." Called Kim as the other Rangers headed for the door. "In his state of mind he'll probably just let Rita kill him."

"Right. Fast. Got it." Muttered Zack.

"It's Morphin' Time!" cried Jason.

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Morphed Rangers gave a salute to Kim and teleported out. Kim laid back and tried to relax, eventually succeeding in falling asleep. She woke up what she figured must have been hours later, but there was no one by her side. Knowing that meant that the Rangers had not returned, as Jason minimally would have been sitting with her, Kim forced herself up and walked into the main chamber.

"Aye yai yai! Zordon, Tommy needs help!" She heard Alpha cry.

"I KNOW ALPHA. WE HAVE TO HOPE TOMMY CAN HOLD OUT UNTIL THE OTHERS ARE ABLE TO JOIN HIM."

"Zordon, Alpha what's going on?" she asked, climbing the two steps onto the main platform.

"Kimberly! You should be resting!" said Alpha. She ignored him and faced the Viewing Globe. The Megazord was fighting a giant squid monster and Tommy was facing Goldar and a group of putties.

"I have to help him." She said.

"KIMBERLY, YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO ENTER THIS BATTLE." Cautioned Zordon. Kim wouldn't hear any of it though.

"I'm alright, really." She said when Alpha looked like he was going to protest. "I'm just a little sore, Alpha, you and Trini did a great job fixing me up, and that nap did wonders. I have to try." She said pleadingly to Zordon, both of them knowing that ultimately she would do what he said. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes full of concern, but eventually nodded.

"BE CAREFUL, KIMBERLY, AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU." Kim nodded her thanks and told him she'd come back safely.

"It's Morphin Time! Pterodactyl!" The Prink Ranger teleported out and within seconds she appeared by Tommy's side. To say the man in question was surprised by her appearance would be an understatement.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, throwing a punch at a Putty and leaping to her side.

"I'm not letting her get you back!" she said, throwing her own punch, quickly followed by a back flip and kick.

"I have no intention of working for Rita again." He responded.

"I'm not letting you die either!" the two began working together as if they'd been doing this for a long time.

"Why do you care? After what I did?"

"That wasn't you!" she roared, accentuating her anger with a powerful kick to Goldar's chest, knocking the beast back. "And I'm sick and tired of repeating myself! This happened to me! _I'm_ the one allowed to feel upset and angry about it, not you! You get to feel upset and angry about Rita turning you evil. That's what happened to you, so that's what you can be upset about, not about what happened to me. Got it?!" she demanded, grabbing his arm and whirling him around, looking straight through his visor, glaring at him. Tommy stared right back at her, not sure if he was glad he couldn't see her face. He was glad, however, that he was saved from giving a reply when Goldar launched back on the attack. Working together, Tommy and Kim were able to destroy all the Putties and repel Goldar. With their battle over, Kim took off her helmet and reached up to remove Tommy's.

"Got it?" she asked once again now that they had eye contact. Tommy saw the fire in her eyes and nodded his head in submission. Already he could tell that giving in to her would make life easier. She smiled at him and he felt a not unpleasant pang in his heart, though he pushed it down.

"Good." She said. Shortly after the other Rangers joined them. The four of them scolded Kimberly for pushing herself too much too soon, but besides that, they were very open and welcoming to Tommy. Even Jason. They gave him no choice but to return to the Command Centre with them where Zordon welcomed him once again, entrusting him with The Power and the responsibility of being a Power Ranger.

"I don't deserve The Power, Zordon." Insisted Tommy. "I've already abused it, I've caused too much damage."

"YOUR ACTIONS WERE NOT YOUR OWN, TOMMY, BUT RITA'S. NO MATTER WHAT SHE FORCED YOU TO DO, YOUR HEART IS STILL GOOD."

"I don't know if I'm ready for this." He said, still unsure.

"IT IS FOR THAT REASON, TOMMY, THAT I KNOW YOU ARE." Tommy nodded, though he didn't fully believe it.

"Welcome to the team, Tommy." Said Jason, coming up beside him and clapping him on the back. The others gave similar sentiments and Tommy couldn't help but smile. Kim was the last one to welcome him and his smile faltered seeing she was still visibly in pain. He wanted to get out and away from it all for awhile, but seeing Kim in pain, reminded him of something.

"Zordon, what about the spell on Kimberly?" he asked. "How can we break it?" The others perked up, interested in the answer as well.

"I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE, TOMMY." Answered Zordon truthfully. "WHEN YOU WERE PLACED UNDER RITA'S SPELL YOU WERE GIVEN THE ABILITY TO USE MAGIC. THIS IS WHAT ALLOWED YOU TO TRAVEL BETWEEN EARTH AND RITA'S MOON PALACE, AS WELL AS PLACE A SPELL ON KIMBERLY." He explained. "EVERY SPELL HAS A COUNTER SPELL; THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO CONTERACT MAGIC. HOWEVER, RITA IS A POWERFUL SORCERESS, SHE COULD EASILY MANIPULATE THE MAGIC SO THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO BREAK THE SPELL, A WAY SHE CREATES; A WAY SHE WOULD BELIEVE TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT RITA DID JUST THAT; AND ALSO THAT TOMMY FOUND A DIFFERENT WAY TO BREAK IT."

"A different way?" asked Billy. "But if Rita's magic is powerful enough to create only one possible counter spell, how could Tommy have found another way?"

"I BELIEVE THE PART OF TOMMY THE SPELL HAD SUPRESSED, HIS HEART AND SOUL, BECAME FRANTIC WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO KIMBERLY. IT TRIED DESPERATELY TO BREAK FREE AND EVENTUALLY SUCCEEDED. TOMMY BROKE THROUGH BY HIS POWER ALONE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS NOT THE WAY RITA CREATED, AND SO AS FAR AS THE MAGIC IS CONCERNED, THE SPELL HAS NOT BEEN LIFTED."

"And that is why Tommy still has access to the powers the spell gave him." Concluded Billy. "Because whatever door she created has not been opened, so the spell technically has not been broken."

"But if the spell has technically not been broken, how is Tommy not evil anymore?" asked Jason.

"TOMMY'S POWER WAS ABLE TO BREAK THE SPELL IN A WAY THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE. IT BROKE THE CONTROL THE EVIL RITA INFUSED HIM WITH HAD. IF I AM CORRECT, THE PART OF TOMMY THAT IS GOOD WAS NOT DESTROYED BY RITA'S SPELL, BUT MERELY SUPPRESSED. WHEN THAT GOODNESS BROKE THROUGH, IT DID NOT DESTROY THE EVIL, BUT SUPPRESSED IT."

"So the roles were revered. The good in Tommy was suppressed by the evil and now the evil is suppressed by the good." Summarized Zack.

"So we break the spell the way Rita intended, the suppressed evil gets destroyed, I lose my powers and the spell on Kimberly is lifted." Said Tommy.

"IN THEORY, THAT IS CORRECT. I BELIEVE THAT IS THE REASON THE SPELL ON KIMBERLY IS STILL ACTIVE. BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE THE POWERS YOU USED TO CAST IT ON HER IN THE FIRST PLACE. HOWEVER, WE CANNOT BE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE AS WE DO NOT KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE SPELL RITA PLACED ON YOU."

"It's worth a try though." Said Trini, trying to cheer Tommy up. "Things can't get worse if we break the spell."

"But we don't know what we have to do to break it. Rita could have made it anything." Said Zack.

"I think I might know what it is." Said Tommy. The others looked to him and he raised his hand in response, summoning the Sword of Darkness. "She gave this to me right when she turned me evil; told me it was to be my sacred weapon and would serve me well if I never let it get destroyed, or fall into the wrong hands. It was obvious she didn't want it destroyed; that's a pretty big hint if you ask me." The others agreed with him. Rita was powerful and devious; complicated and subtle she was not.

"So how do we destroy it?" asked Zack.

"We hit it, and we hit it hard." Said Jason.

"If you Morph, Jase, I can configure some of the power in the control panels to increase the potency of your Power Sword." Added Billy. "It should then have enough energy to slice the Sword of Darkness clean in half." Jason nodded.

"Sounds good to me. It's Morphin' Time! Tyrannosaurus!" As Jason morphed and called on his Power Sword, Billy went over to the control panels with Alpha and began working. Jason removed his helmet as they waited, seeing no point in keeping it on. A couple minutes later Billy told Jason to hold the Power Sword up to the console where he infused it with energy directly from the Command Centre.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Said Jason when the Power Sword was fully charged. Tommy placed the Sword of Darkness on the ground and they all stepped back, giving Jason space. The Red Ranger brought the Power Sword up above his head before swinging it down with all his might. Billy was right, as always, and the Sword of Darkness was cut in two. Both Tommy and Kimberly cried out when it was destroyed, but recovered quickly.

"I guess that was it." Said Tommy. He waved his hand, trying to make Jason drop the Power Sword, but couldn't. He then tried to disappear and reappear on the other side of the Command Centre, but failed. "Yea, that was definitely it. I don't have my powers anymore." He turned to Kim and her hands immediately went to her lower back, lifting Tommy's t-shirt, which she was still wearing along with his sweats, to reach the skin beneath.

"The mark's still there." She whispered. Tommy shook his head in disbelief and went behind her, needing to see it for himself. Sure enough, the mark in the shape of his Power Coin was still very visible. Tommy's actions allowed the others to see the mark as well, all of them tensing when they saw the mark engraved into Kim's skin.

"Maybe…maybe the spell is gone, but you'll still have the mark." He said hopefully. His guilt and self-hatred was coming back full force. He hated the fact that she'd bear his mark for the rest of her life, but he'd hate it even more if the spell wasn't lifted. Kim nodded and grabbed Jason's arm, using him as a crutch as she walked slowly out of the room. When they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Kim doubled over in pain. Her cry brought Tommy running and he didn't hesitate this time in sweeping her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I really hoped it would work." He whispered to her, tears once again forming in his eyes. Kim's arms tightened around his neck as she whispered back that she didn't blame him and they'd figure it out.

"What now?" asked Trini. "It's obvious the spell on Kim hasn't been lifted. How is this going to work with our parents, and school and such?" Neither Tommy nor Kim missed that she said 'our parents' thus clearly stating they wouldn't abandon them and would be there every step of the way.

"THIS DOES POSE A PROBLEM." Said Zordon. "LIKE YOU, I HAD THOUGHT BREAKING RITA'S SPELL ON TOMMY WOULD LIFT THE SPELL HE PLACED ON KIMBERLY. HOWEVER WE WILL NOT GIVE UP. EVERY SPELL HAS A COUNTER SPELL. DESTROYING THE SWORD OF DARKNESS COUNTERED RITA'S SPELL BUT NOT TOMMY'S, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY."

"I don't remember making a way to break the spell." Said Tommy. "In fact just the opposite, I intended for the spell never to be broken. If there is a way, I don't know it." Everyone was silent, not liking what they were hearing, but not knowing what to do about it.

"Zordon, what is it?" asked Kim, seeing a spark of understanding enter his eyes.

"A THEORY, KIMBERLY, NOTHING MORE."

"Well let's hear it." Said Zack. "A theory is better than nothing." Zordon sighed.

"VERY WELL. TOMMY'S HEART AND SOUL ARE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, AS PROVEN WHEN HE BROKE THROUGH RITA'S SPELL WITHOUT DESTROYING THE SWORD OF DARKNESS. MY THEORY IS THIS: THE SPELL HAS INDEED BEEN BROKEN, BUT AS HE NEVER INTENDED FOR IT TO BE BROKEN, HIS POWER IS KEEPING THE SPELL ALIVE."

"My power? How can my power keep the spell alive if it's broken? And why would it?"

"WHEN YOU CAST THE SPELL ON KIMBERLY, I SUSPECT YOUR EMOTIONS WERE RUNNING HIGH AND IT WAS AN ACT MADE OUT OF DESPERATION. YOU CAME INTO THE COMMAND CENTRE TO RETRIEVE KIMBERLY. WHY? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR WANTING HER BACK, AND WANTING HER NEVER TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE YOU AGAIN?" Tommy's brows furrowed as he thought back to yesterday.

"You're right, I remember feeling desperate." He started. "When Kimberly was rescued, I remember desperately _needing_ her to return. When I cast the spell…it hurt, to think of her leaving me. I just…couldn't bare the thought and knew I had to do something to make sure I never lost her." He looked to Zordon, then to the others and finally to the petite brunette in his arms. "It's some weird and twisted kind of affection, I guess…"

"I SUSPECTED AS MUCH. RANGERS, ALL LIVING BEINGS ARE CAPABLE OF EXTRAORDINARY ACTIONS IN TIMES OF DESPERATION, ACTIONS THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR REASONS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, TOMMY'S FEELINGS TOWARDS KIMBERLY, AND HIS DESPERATION THAT THEY BE TOGETHER ALWAYS, AWAKENED THE PART OF HIM THAT CAN PERFORM THESE ACTIONS. HOWEVER, THERE WERE TWO OTHER FACTORS AT PLAY. TOMMY, LIKE YOU, IS A POWER RANGER, ENTRUSTED WITH THE POWER. THOSE WITH THE POWER ARE CAPABLE OF EXTRAORDINARY FEATS AT ANYTIME, NOT JUST IN A TIME OF GREAT NEED. THIS IS WHAT GRANTS YOU THE ABILITY TO FIGHT EVIL THAT THOSE WITHOUT THE POWER COULD NEVER HOPE TO DEFEAT. ALSO, TOMMY WAS UNDER RITA'S SPELL, GIVING HIM POWER BEYOND THAT OF EVEN A POWER RANGER. I BELIEVE THAT WHILE TOMMY WAS USING THE POWER RITA HAD GIVEN HIM, IT WAS HIS FEELINGS FOR KIMBERLY THAT WERE THE SOURCE OF THE POWER HE USED."

"Wait, I'm confused." Said Zack. "He was using the power Rita gave him…but he wasn't?"

"THINK OF IT THIS WAY, YOUR MORPHERS ALLOW YOU TO BECOME POWER RANGERS, HOWEVER THE MORPHER ITSELF IS NOT THE SOURCE OF POWER. IT IS THE MORPHING GRID AND THE POWER WITHIN IT. YOUR MORPHERS ARE MERELY A TOOL DESIGNED TO HARNESS THAT POWER AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING YOU CAN USE TO FIGHT EVIL. TOMMY'S FEELINGS WERE THE POWER BEHIND HIS SPELL, AND THE POWER RITA GAVE HIM WAS THE TOOL THAT TURNED THOSE FEELINGS INTO ACTIONS AND ALLOWED HIM TO ACCOMPLISH HIS GOAL."

"So what you're saying, is that while the tool used to cast the spell, is gone, the power behind it still exists." Said Billy. "And as long as that power, Tommy's feelings for Kimberly, exist, so does the magic binding them together."

"YES BILLY, I BELIEVE SO. HOWEVER, AS TOMMY HAS ALREADY PROVEN, HE CAN HARNESS HIS POWER AND CREATE SOMETHING OUT OF IT. I BELIEVE HE CAN CONTROL THE MAGIC."

"Control it? Control it how?" Tommy asked. "Billy said the spell will exist as long as my feelings for Kim exist. I can't…I can't just…turn off what I feel." He said the last part quietly.

"NO YOU CANNOT, NOR WOULD WE ASK THAT OF YOU. BUT YOU CAN CONTROL THE POWER WITHIN YOU. CLOSE YOU EYES AND CONCENTRATE ON THOSE FEELINGS." At the encouragement of Kim, who was comfortably snuggled in his arms, Tommy did what he was told. "FEEL THE POWER SURROUNDING THEM AND GRASP ONTO IT. TRY AND FOCUS IT TO FIT YOUR NEW GOAL. YOU MAY STILL WISH TO HAVE KIMBERLY CLOSE TO YOU, HOWEVER-"

"I don't want her to suffer." He said from deep in a meditative state. "I don't want her to be in pain because of me. I want her to be able to live her life, to be able to walk away from me." Kim leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as well. She wanted to help him. After a few calming breaths and moments of concentrating on her feelings for Tommy, Kim began to see swirls of green in her mind. There were parts of the green that were discoloured, and upon further inspection she could see that it was mixed with pink. As she watched, the pink became more prominent, parts of it separating from the green. As more of it separated, Kim began panicking. She didn't want to lose him. And neither apparently did a panicked voice she heard in her head.

'_No! Kim! I don't want to lose her!'_

The pink began melding with the green again, and Kim found herself trying to help push the colours together again. However, a calmer, stronger voice spoke out, stopping them.

'_No. You have to set her free. I don't want to lose her, but I have to set her free.' _Kim realized this was Tommy, and his emotions and mind warring to alter the spell.

'_You will never lose me Tommy.'_ Said Kim in her mind, wanting to reassure him. Wanting to make him understand she didn't want to lose him as much as he didn't want to lose her.

'_Kimberly? How are you…?'_

'_I don't know. I wanted to help you, and here I am. I'm guessing the pink and green colours I'm seeing is the spell. Tommy don't force it. Remember what Zordon said, your feelings are the power source. You can only do what your feelings let you. You don't want to lose me, so don't.'_

'_But Kimberly, if I don't, the spell will still be active.'_

'_So let it.'_

Tommy was silent but did as she asked. Kim helped him, adding the power of her feelings to his. With the added power, the pink and green came apart completely, however quickly melded together in a new way. Instead of two separate colours, discolouring when they merged, they became one, the pink and green clearly visible as two colours, but connected at every turn, impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. Finally, the two of them awoke from their meditative states. They looked at each other for a moment, which ended when Kim gave him a smile, and the others took that as a sign that things were ok and immediately began asking questions.

"Ok, ok, hold on." Cried Kim. "First, we don't know exactly what happened, just that something changed. Let's test it out." Tommy released her and Jason once again helped her out of the room. Tommy held his breath, waiting for the cry of pain, but none came. Kim and Jason walked back into the room with big smiles on their faces.

"Nothing!" said Kim. "No pain, and we made it nearly to the med bay." Everyone laughed and clapped their hands, so relieved that things were alright. Tommy himself slid down to the floor and breathed a few sighs of relief.

"THAT IS WONDERFUL NEWS." Said Zordon. "A WORD OF CAUTION, HOWEVER. AS TOMMY'S FEELINGS CHANGE, OR SHOULD THEY FLARE UP, THE MAGIC BETWEEN YOU WILL MORE THEN LIKELY REACT TO IT. BE WEARY THE NEXT TIME YOU FEEL A STRONG EMOTION TOMMY, UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT."

Tommy and Kim nodded, knowing that they still had a bond and that it might act up at times. Their eyes met across the room and they silently agreed they'd meet those challenges when they came. Afterwards, everyone was milling about, Billy and Alpha making Tommy his own communicator and with Trini and Zack fusing over Kim, Tommy approached Jason.

"You're all very welcoming now. Why? What changed in the last few hours?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Because it wasn't your fault." Jason answered. "I don't like what happened, not one bit. But it wasn't your fault." He clapped Tommy on the back. "Besides, Kim made her feelings on the subject very clear. And Trini glared at me. And believe me, none of us are brave enough to go up against them, especially both at once." Tommy laughed at that.

"Yea, I'm beginning to see why."

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**A/N - Hope all the explanations weren't too confusing. Let me know if it is and I'll work on it and re-upload the chapter.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed past chapters, keep it up and review again please! =D**


	5. Pink Lines

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 5 – Pink Lines**

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The next two weeks went by slowly for Tommy. He was constantly on alert, wondering when something would go wrong with the bond he and Kim had. And of course, things were tense in the Ranger group. While the others followed Kim's lead and forgave Tommy for what happened, it would take time for them to truly feel the forgiveness they spoke of. It wasn't made any easier with Tommy's own inability to let go of what he had done. Everyday they were reminded of what happened when they saw the guilt on his face and how he walked on eggshells around all of them, especially Kimberly. Now no one expected Tommy to actually let go and forget what had happened, especially so quickly, but more along the lines of starting to move on. Twice Jason spoke to him about his walking on eggshells around Kim. Zack, Billy and Trini and even Zordon had also spoken to him. By the end of the two weeks, Jason finally told Tommy that Kimberly was getting pissed that he was not even trying to start to forgive himself. The rest of the team confirmed what Jason said, and also added that if he didn't get it together, even just a little bit, Kim would have his head. And sure enough the day after he was warned, Kim confronted Tommy. She was waiting for him when he left his math class heading to lunch. She didn't bother with hellos and instead grabbed his arm and dragged him outside to the back of the school where they could have some privacy.

"Tommy, we need to talk about what happened on the Moon two weeks ago." She said, crossing her arms and staring him down. Tommy swallowed visibly at the mention of his new least favourite subject.

"Ok." He said slowly. "Was there a particular part about it you wanted to talk about, or…?"

"Tommy, I know the others have warned you that you're starting to piss me off." She said.

"Oh. That." He said, though he had known from the beginning what this was about.

"Yes, that. Tommy, I know it's hard to move on, to forget what happened, and I know you might not want to." She stopped when Tommy sighed and slid down the side of the school, dropping his head in his hands. She knelt down beside him, leaning her back against the school as well.

"Tommy, talk to me." She said softly. "I want to help you, but you have to talk to me." After a few moments, Tommy lifted his head and spoke.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see you. You scared when you first woke up in the Moon Palace. You terrified when I nearly raped you that first night; terrified when I placed that spell on you. The _resignation _when you realized I wasn't going to stop that second time. And the pain. The sight of your tear stained face, of your bruised and bloodied body struggling against me. The sound of your screams when I…when I _brutalized _you." Tears were streaming down his face, as he said this, the images running through his mind. "I can't get it out of my head. No matter how hard I try, no matter how many times you and the others say it wasn't my fault, that you don't blame me; it won't go away, and I don't know how…I can't understand how you, any of you, _especially_ _you_, could forgive me."

"Oh Tommy." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head towards her, cradling his head to her chest and letting him cry. When his sobs subsided and the tears streaming down both their faces were silent, Kim spoke up.

"Tommy, you're right. Nearly everything you've said is right, I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't scared and in pain. But Tommy, it was not your fault."

"But it was my fault." he whispered.

"Rita put you under a spell, she turned you evil, she didn't give you a choice. How could that be your fault?" Kim countered.

"Alright, I'll admit that it wasn't my fault she turned me evil. But everything I did to you…that was my fault." He paused and Kim waited patiently for him to continue. "When she turned me evil, she only gave me one order: to destroy the Power Rangers. She didn't tell me to kidnap you. She didn't tell me to chain you to my bed, to molest you, to bind you to me, to…to rape you. That was all me, it was all my fault, everything you went through was my fault."

"No, Tommy, it isn't."

"How can you say that?!" He demanded, lifting his head to face her. You didn't need their bond to see the desperation, anguish, and all encompassing guilt he felt, it was plain to see right there in his eyes,

"Because I know you! Because I know you'd never hurt me!" She insisted. "Remember that I can feel you now too, Tommy, through our bond, and I can feel the difference in you, and I know you'd never hurt me." He didn't look like he believed her at all so she tried another tactic. "Tommy, we're at the back of the school, no one is around and physically you are infinitely stronger then me. You could easily hold me down, clamp a hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream and take me. Nothing's stopping you." Tommy pulled away, looking at her with horror filled eyes.

"Nothing's stop…I don't…I don't want to do that! I would never…not if I'm in my right mind…in control of myself…"

"You see?" said Kim. " 'I would never, not if I'm in my right mind, in control of myself.' Do you hear yourself? You've just said exactly what I've been trying to tell you! That it wasn't really you, because even though Rita didn't order you to do anything to me, you weren't in your right mind, you were under her spell and it changed you. It pushed down who you really are and locked it away, making you do things the real you would never do." She reached up and cupped his face with her hand. "There is something stopping you from just taking me, Tommy, and that's _you_." He slumped down a bit, allowing her to pull him to her again.

"So maybe you're right. That doesn't stop the fact that in my right mind or not, I was the one who hurt you."

"No, it doesn't. And that's what's making this so hard. I know you may never forgive yourself, Tommy. But you need to at least start to try and move on. And we'll help you. I'll help you. You're our friend Tommy and we care about you. And I…I think I love you." Tommy looked up at her, questioningly. "Or something." She added quickly, looking anywhere but at him, embarrassed she let that slip out. But she had, and there was no point pretending otherwise. "Tommy the spell you cast on me, it was created by your emotions, your feelings for me. And what we have now, this bond, I think it's being held together by _both_ of our feelings for each other. We both noticed a change in the spell Tommy. I call it a bond because that's what it feels like; it feels so different from the spell that enslaved me to you. And I helped make it too; I added my power to yours because I didn't want to lose you either." She admitted. Tommy nodded unsurprised.

"I thought as much. I felt more then just my power that day."

"So it's not just you. I felt…I _feel_ something too, Tommy." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, running her hands through his hair. "Are we ok now?" she asked. Tommy nodded.

"Yeah. I can't say I'll ever really get over it, but yeah, we're ok."

**-T/K-**

The next little while went by a lot faster and better then the initial two weeks. Tommy was no longer in full guilt mode and was able to relax around the Rangers and enjoy his time with them, for which they were all grateful. Christmas came upon them quickly and the Rangers were happy for some time away from school, if not away from monster battles. Once Christmas ended it was only a matter of days till the New Year of 1994 and the return to school. But even though the holidays were over, things were going well for everyone and even Rita and her battles couldn't truly put a damper on things. However, as the Rangers were quickly learning, things never went well for them for too long; something always seemed to go wrong for the Power Rangers. Shortly into the New Year, just over two months after Tommy had been freed from Rita's spell, Kim began to suspect that Tommy had left her with more then just bruises and memories. And naturally she couldn't hide it from everyone. After a week of watching her friend throw up at random times, Trini confronted Kimberly.

"Kim." She said, as the tiny woman washed her mouth out in the girl's bathroom one morning. "Kim, I think we both know this is no stomach flu."

"Yeah." Said Kim, leaning against the sink. "But it could be. I haven't taken a test or anything, so maybe…" She looked at Trini hopefully, though her eyes betrayed her.

"You should take one. Today. I'll drive out to Stone Canyon after school and get one. It's only an hour and a half there and back." Trini offered. Kim nodded her thanks.

"Meet you at the Youth Centre?" she asked. "I can't do this at home." Trini nodded and the girls went back to their classes, which seemed to drag by. Finally when the final bell rang, Trini gave Kim an encouraging look before she left for Stone Canyon. Just under two hours later, Trini and Kim were sequestered in the girl's bathroom at the Youth Centre, waiting those dreadful five minutes for either two pink lines, or one blue.

"Longest five minutes ever." Muttered Kim as she watched the clock. Trini put her arm around Kim and murmured reassurances, though both of them knew that things might not exactly be ok. Finally five minutes passed and both Kim and Trini looked down at the stick seeing two pink lines.

"Pink lines." Muttered Kim as she grabbed the box. Her face fell and Trini pulled her into a hug, letting the petite woman cry on her shoulder. As her sobs grew louder, the door burst open to reveal Jason.

"Sorry, but Ernie was getting complaints that you had shut the bathroom down for too long. I was just gonna check in, but I heard you crying." He said in one breath as he moved towards Kim. "Kim, sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked, taking her into his arms. Kim began to cry harder, clinging to him and burying her face in his chest. He looked to Trini for an explanation. In response she held up the pregnancy test box. Jason's eyes widened and he held Kim tighter. Knowing Jason and Kim had been as close as twins since they practically shared a crib as babies as their mothers were best friends, Trini left the two alone. She went into the main part of the Youth Centre, stopping only long enough to tell Ernie that Jason and Kim were both in the girl's bathroom comforting each other after receiving bad news. Ernie nodded and put an out of order sign on the door; deciding against offering support when he heard the sobs from within. Seeing that Kim and Jason wouldn't be disturbed, Trini continued on to their regular table where Zack and Billy waited. She was relieved to see Tommy wasn't there as she wasn't sure if Kim wanted him to know just yet. With Zack and Billy, however, she knew exactly what Kim would want.

"Is Kimberly ok?" asked Billy. Trini shook her head and motioned them to lean closer.

"You have to keep this quiet." She whispered. "You can't tell anyone, especially Tommy." They nodded, their interest piqued, if nothing else. Trini did a quick look around to make sure no one was listening in before she continued.

"Kim's pregnant." She whispered, even quieter then before. Neither Zack nor Billy said anything, or moved for that matter. Finally they sat back with weird looks on their faces. That was how Kim and Jason found them when they emerged from the bathroom a quarter of an hour later. Zack and Billy stood up and squished Kim between them in a group hug, offering their silent support. Kim smiled at Trini in thanks for telling them. Her best girl friend knew her well, nearly as well as Jason.

"Thanks guys." She said as they all sat back down. Ernie chose that moment to bring them all milkshakes.

"On the house." He said as he patted Kim on the shoulder sympathetically, though he still had no idea what was going on.

"What are you going to do?" asked Zack once Ernie had retreated.

"I'm carrying it to term." She said. "That's about as far as I got. Except…I don't know what to tell Tommy. He's just started to move on and forgive himself. I don't think I want to know what he's gonna do when he finds out he knocked me up." The others nodded, knowing where she was coming from and also not knowing how Tommy would react, but knowing it wouldn't be conductive to his recovery.

**-T/K-**

Later that day, Kim was lying at home on her bed with her hand on her belly when a beam of green light signalled Tommy's arrival.

"Tommy." She said, bolting into an upright position, her eyes widening in surprise and apprehension. "What are you doing here?"

"I felt your emotions spike today. I guess that's a side effect of the bond." He said. "Is everything ok? You were really upset and scared. I was worried."

"I'm fine." She said, trying her best to look it. "I'm fine. Really."

"Why don't I believe that?" he asked "You're forgetting I can feel you; feel what you're feeling, and right now you're nervous."

"I'm just…not feeling well."

"You're lying, Kimberly." He said, calling her on it and starting to get upset with her.

"I'm not lying, I'm not feeling well. I was sick earlier, you can ask Trini."

"Funny thing, I stopped by the Youth Centre, thinking you might be there but I only found Jason and the others. They said you had gone home, but I got the impression they were hiding something from me."

"Why would they be hiding something from you?"

"I don't know, with them it was just a hunch I got, I can't be sure. But with you, I am sure that you're lying." He said, his voice rising abit.

"Tommy, I'm not lying to you, I'm fine and you really shouldn't be here. My parents and all." She added when he sent her a look.

"Where should I be then?" he asked. "When I went to the Youth Centre, they told me you were gone and then basically dismissed me, practically telling me I shouldn't be there, and now you're saying I shouldn't be here, so where should I be?"

"Tommy, you're over reacting."

"Am I? Because you're starting to get really scared, and upset. Scared of me. Did I do something? Have you finally come your senses and blame me for what happened a couple months ago?"

"And that's exactly why you're not supposed to be here!" she nearly yelled, tears coming to her eyes. "So you need to leave, Tommy, now."

"What is that supposed to mean, 'that's why I'm not supposed to be here?' " he yelled, his emotions getting the best of him, just as hers were.

"You know exactly what it means! You still blame yourself when no one else does! You can't forgive yourself and you don't need this right now, it won't help, it'll only make things worse! And I can't deal with this right now, so you need to leave!"

"No, not until you tell me what's wrong!" Their voices had risen louder and louder until they were screaming at each other.

"Fine, then I'll leave! And you better be gone when I get back!" She left the room and slammed the door behind her. The minute the door closed, Tommy heard a cry of pain at the same time a jolt of it ran through his body, though it quickly disappeared. He ran to the door, ripping it open; his eyes going immediately to her small form huddled on the floor.

"Kim!" he cried, falling to his knees and pulling her close. "What happened?"

"The mark." She breathed as she brought her hands to his face, seeking the skin-to-skin contact that eased her pain.

"But…why?" he asked, not wanting to believe this was happening again. "I thought we fixed it?"

"I don't know." She responded, her breathing returning to normal.

"Come on, we should get you out of the hall. Your parents will have heard that."

"They're not here. If they were do you really think they wouldn't have come up with all the yelling?" He let out a humourless laugh as he hoisted her up and carried her back to her bed.

"See, I knew you were lying." He said. She didn't respond so he let the subject drop for a minute and focused on the bond. "Why did this happen? Why did you walking away cause the mark to burn? You've been walking away from me for two months, why now?"

"I'm not sure." She said as he settled her in her bed and sat down next to her. The two thought for a moment, wracking their brains for a plausible reason before Kim remembered something. "Remember what Zordon said? The bond is dependent on our feelings for each other and we were pretty angry. When our emotions act up, so does the bond." Tommy nodded.

"I guess that makes sense. Our emotions control the bond, so when we're not in control of our emotions, they're not in control of the bond." It was Kim's turn to nod in agreement. "And I think you were definitely right, about your emotions being a part of it now to. I felt a jolt of pain when you cried out. That's never happened before."

"You felt pain?" she asked. Tommy nodded.

"Yeah. Well, maybe not pain exactly, but I felt a shock go through me. It was brief, but I felt something." Kim nodded and sunk further into her pillows.

"Kim. What's going on?" he asked after a few moments. Kim stiffened, and he felt her fear rise again. "Kim, whatever it is, it can't be that bad. We can deal with it."

"That's just it Tommy, I don't know how you're going to react." She said, as fresh tears came to her eyes.

"Why? How bad can it be?" She didn't answer him, and he thought back to what she had said before storming out. "You said that I still blame myself for what happened, that I can't forgive myself and you can't deal with that. So does that mean you're afraid that whatever you have to tell me will set me back? Make me hate myself even more?" Kim nodded, the tears now streaming down her face. "Kim we talked about that, remember? Yeah, I blame myself, and we know that that might, probably, will never change. But I told you that I would try to move on, and I am. No matter what happens, whatever what you tell me makes me feel, I promise you, that I will continue to move forward." He reached over and grasped her hand. "I also told you I would be there for you, help you in any way I can. But I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Kim took a few calming breaths. She was going to tell him. He had a right to know.

"I'm pregnant." She murmured. Tommy's heart stopped, hearing those words.

"What?" he asked in shock.

"I'm pregnant." She said again, slightly louder this time. Tommy's grasp on her hand tightened, knowing without a doubt that he was the father.

"Oh, Kim. I'm so sorry." Tears that had formed in his eyes when she first said those two words fell. She was right that his first reaction was to blame himself. But those two words made him realize that this was now bigger then just him and Kimberly. Kim leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him and he shifted so that he was leaning against the pillows with her sitting in his lap; their arms wrapped around each other.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked eventually. "I'll do anything, just tell me what you want."

"I only want you to do what you want, Tommy." She replied, looking up into his eyes. "You can be involved as much or as little as you want. I don't want to force you into anything."

"I'm involved, Kim." He said without hesitation. "I'm involved all the way." She smiled up at him and he felt his heart melt a little.

"Thank you." She said, and Tommy didn't need the bond to know she was feeling relieved and happy. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"So you're going to keep it?" he asked.

"I want to." She admitted. "I guess I'm just scared. I mean, I'm pregnant, Tommy, just turned fifteen-years-old…and pregnant. There's a child growing inside me. Can we really raise a child? And on top of it all, we're Power Rangers. I shouldn't be in battles anymore but you guys need me. Earth needs me. What if losing a Ranger tips the scale and Rita wins? What if-?

"Kim, there are too many what ifs in life. Yes, we are Power Rangers, yes the world needs us, but we can work this out. We'll figure this out ok?" she nodded in agreement. "And to answer your question, yes we can raise a child." Kim smiled again, wider this time and Tommy found her smiling along with her. He turned his attention to her belly and placed his hand over her stomach. It was a little firmer then he remembered, but he knew it would be too early for anything else.

"A baby." He said in awe. "We're having a baby."

"Yeah." She said, placing her hand over his and looking up at him still smiling. Tommy's smile widened again and on a whim, he bent his head and gently kissed her. An action Kim was only too pleased to reciprocate.

**-T/K-**

Once Kim and Tommy had settled things between them, they went back to the Youth Centre and talked with their friends, all of whom were thankful Tommy knew, and that he was ok. They decided then that they had better tell Zordon and Alpha what was going on. With no time like the present, they teleported to the Command Centre.

"Zordon, we have something to tell you." Said Tommy. He looked to Kim who nodded and grabbed his hand. "Kim's pregnant." He told the floating head. Zordon was surprised by this news, though he suddenly realized he shouldn't be, as he doubted Tommy had been concerned with contraceptives and didn't remember Kimberly taking an emergency contraceptive when she returned.

"KIMBERLY, I APOLOGISE. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED YOU WOULD NEED A CONTRACEPTIVE." He said sadly. If anyone thought that their ancient, intergalactic mentor knowing about modern Earthling contraceptives was weird, none of them said a word.

"No, Zordon, it's not your fault, Tommy and I forgot too."

"We all forgot." Said Trini.

"Besides, I'm…happy." She said. "I know I'm only fifteen, but now that it's happened…I want this child." Tommy wrapped his arm around her and nodded his agreement.

"ONCE AGAIN, YOU SPEAK WITH WISDOM BEYOND YOUR YEARS. IF THE BOTH OF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THIS TURN OF EVENTS, SO AM I."

"Thanks Zordon." Said Tommy.

"Zordon, what's going to happen now? With me being a Ranger and all? I can't exactly fight when pregnant." Asked Kim.

"THE OTHERS SHALL COPE WITHOUT YOU. WHEN RITA WAS FIRST RELEASED FROM HER DUMPSTER, THERE WERE ONLY FIVE POWER COINS IN OUR POSSESSION. I WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN THEM TO YOU IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT FIVE RANGERS COULD DEFEAT RITA. IT SHALL NO DOUBT BE MORE DIFFICULT BEING DOWN ONE RANGER, HOWEVER I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT THEY WILL SUCCEED." Kim nodded.

"Ok. But you guys better keep me updated. Don't hide Ranger business from me. And Billy and Alpha can teach me what some of this stuff does," She waved her hand at the control panels. "So that I can come here and help from this end. And you have to promise me that if you really need me to fight you'll call." She said.

"Kim, you're pregnant." Said Tommy. "You have to think of our child now." Kim sent him a glare, but there was no real heat to it.

"I am thinking of our child." She said. "If things get to the point where we lose and Rita takes over Earth, it won't matter if our baby is born safely because there will be no Earth for him to be born on. I'm only saying call me if things get that bad." Tommy had to concede that point and hung his head in acceptance. He quickly raised it again, however, when he realized exactly what she had said.

"Him?" he asked. "It's a boy?" Tommy smiled and Kim and the others couldn't help but laugh at him.

"No, silly, it's way too early to know if it's a boy or girl. I just don't like calling him an it." Jason came forward and clapped him on the back.

"Maybe you should go pick up a book on pregnancy, or a few books. Cause even I knew that." He said. The others laughed again at Tommy's expense, and both he and Kimberly were filled with a sense that things were going to be alright.

**-T/K-**

Tommy and Kim were very happy that Zordon had reacted so well to the news of her pregnancy as they weren't sure how either of their parents would react. In the short time since they had become Rangers, the teens had grown close to Zordon. They turned to him often for advice on Ranger business and so it was a really short leap for them to turn to him for non-Ranger matters. Having Zordon's support gave them peace of mind that even if they're parents reacted badly, they would have a place to turn to. Tommy and Kim waited as long as they could to tell their parents, procrastinating nearly an entire month after they found out, until Kim, who was at the end of her first trimester, was starting to show; and with her small stature, it wouldn't be long until they couldn't hide it anymore. They didn't know who to tell first, who would react better and not instantly insist on calling the other's parents, so they decided to tell them at the same time, calling them over to Kim's house one night. The two teens were on edge the entire time, something that did not go unnoticed by their mothers, although their fathers and Kim's step-father seemed pretty oblivious. Finally, after one too many pointed looks from their moms, Kim and Tommy decided to just come right out and tell them. The two stood up, drawing their parents' attention, and immediately faltered.

"Do you have something to tell us, Thomas?" asked his mother Vivian. Tommy winced at the use of his full name.

"Kimberly Ann?" questioned Kim's mom Caroline.

"Ouch, middle name." muttered Kim. She and Tommy sighed, and decided to just get it over with.

"Well…" started Tommy, already off to a bad start with just getting it over with. "You see the things is…"

"I'm pregnant." Said Kim. The two teens sought out their parents' faces, unsurprised to see the looks of shock, anger and worry. They were surprised, however, to see that their mothers appeared not to be shocked. Caroline nodded and gave her daughter a sad smile.

"I suspected as much." She said, to which Vivian agreed. When Tommy and Kim had announced they were dating a month ago, Kim began spending a lot of time at Tommy's place, so it wasn't hard for Vivian to notice the signs.

"You knew?" Kim asked them.

"We suspected." Said Vivian. "The signs were there; and you both seemed to forget that I'm a nurse on a women's ward. The number of pregnant women I see on a daily basis."

"Vivian and I had a chat last week, wondering what we'd do if you really were pregnant."

"And you didn't think Mark, Pierre and I needed to know that little fact?" asked Andrew, Kim's father.

"Well we weren't sure, and we didn't want to worry you unnecessarily." Caroline replied.

"I think we're passed worried." Said Mark.

"And that is why you three will sit there and listen, opening your mouths only if you have something constructive to say." Warned Vivian, to which Caroline nodded, glaring her husband and ex-husband into submission.

"So what are you guys going to do?" asked Tommy, cautiously.

"Are you going to kick us out?" asked Kim.

"What on Earth would make you think we'd kick you out?" demanded Caroline.

"I think every teen in our position wonders if their parents would kick them out." Responded Tommy.

"Thomas James Oliver if after sixteen years you don't know that we love you, no matter what you do, then we have a bigger problem here then you getting your girlfriend pregnant." Scolded Vivian.

"So you're not going to kick us out." Kim said, as she and Tommy relaxed a bit.

"Of course not, sweetie." Said Caroline, reaching across the table to grasp Kim's hand. "We cannot impress on you the seriousness of your actions. A child is a big responsibility, and I know I taught you about contraceptives, Kimberly."

"And your dad had that talk with you, Tommy."

"Some talk, 'use a condom' he says, end of talk." Muttered Tommy. Mark reached over and swatted his son on the back of the head.

"Hey, that was our secret." He said.

"If I'm going down for unprotected sex, you're coming down with me for not actually teaching me anything."

"You said you knew everything already and that you had no questions. You wanted that talk over as quickly as I did."

"Enough, you two." Growled Vivian, unimpressed with both of them. "What's done is done. Now we need to figure out where we go from here." Caroline nodded her agreement.

"We want to keep the baby." Said Kim, looking over to Tommy, telling him to speak up at any time.

"We both have some money saved up, and I've been looking for a job." Tommy added. "So far no one wants to hire a sixteen year old freshman when they can hire eighteen year old seniors, or college kids." Their parents nodded, pleased to see their kids were already thinking about the future and their kid.

"Well, you two are our responsibility." Said Vivian. "We will take care of you guys until you are able to stand on your own two feet. A grandchild doesn't change that."

"And as you're still a dependant you're covered on your father's and my medical insurance."

"We'll also help out with the child where we can. We can't cover everything; but the three of you will always have a roof over your heads and food to eat." Their fathers nodded their agreement and Kim had tears in her eyes hearing not only her family, but Tommy's as well giving them their support and love. Tommy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug when her tears fell and she began to cry.

"Shh. Kim, it's ok. It's ok Beautiful." He said soothingly. The adults around them were silent, watching the two of them together; seeing how easily Tommy handled Kim and how she responded to him. This was behaviour they'd expect from adults who had been together for at least a couple years, not two teenagers who'd been together a couple months.

"I know." Said Kim, leaning into him more. "I'm not upset, I'm happy. I'm so relieved, I'm just…emotional right now, and I don't know why."

"Hey, hey this is perfectly normal. Remember what the book said? Your body's changing rapidly to accommodate the baby and that includes your hormones. They're just acting up right now." Kim nodded.

"You read a pregnancy book?" Vivian asked, surprised but impressed with her son.

**-T/K-**

After the hard part of telling their parents, Kim and Tommy knew they had to tell their friends' parents as well. For Tommy this wasn't very daunting, as he barely knew them. For Kim it was like telling her parents all over again. She had known all of them since she was a little girl. Jason's parents she'd known all her life, and theirs was the reaction she was most worried about. They took it about as well as everyone else had so far; their love for Kim and growing affection for Tommy won out. Not long after their family and friends found out, the rest of Angel Grove did as well. Their classmates' reactions varied from shock and acceptance to mocking and scorn. Their teachers made clear their disapproval but quickly got over it and Kim felt their sympathetic eyes on her nearly every time she passed one of them in the halls, or entered or left their classrooms. Bulk and Skull, naturally, made fun of them multiple times a day, though the Rangers noted that they kept their bullying to words only whenever Kim and her growing belly were around. Ernie was supportive right from the beginning, saying what's done is done and you could only move forward. He even gave Tommy a part time job at the Youth Centre. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Tommy, Kim and their unborn child. Perhaps not the place they thought it would be, but a place where things were going to turn out alright.

**-T/K-**

Once Kim's pregnancy became public it didn't take long for Rita to find out about it. Still bitter about losing Tommy as her Evil Green Ranger, Rita decided she would take Kim and raise her child, once born, to be evil. Tommy took these threats against his family very seriously and so did Zordon and the other Rangers. Kim was never left alone, always having Tommy or one of her friends with her, or being at the Command Centre during battles. Tommy had gone one step further, getting Billy and Alpha to make changes to Kim's communicator so that only she could take it off, ensuring she'd never be without a way to contact him. Tommy's paranoia only grew the more times Rita made an attempt to capture Kim. It got to the point where he snuck into Kim's room and camped out at night to make sure Rita couldn't kidnap her in her sleep. Kim stayed up with him as long as she could but sleep always won out in the end. As days passed the lack of sleep took it's toll on Tommy until finally Kim took the problem to Zordon and their friends, knowing there had to be a solution that ensure her safety and let Tommy sleep. Alpha and Billy worked over the weekend to come up with something and, in true Billy and Alpha fashion, succeeded. They invented a program that would track Kim's communicator every fifteen minutes during the night when she was alone. If Rita tried to capture Kim during the night she wouldn't waste time trying to remove Kim's communicator. She would get Kim to the moon right away and the next time the program tracked the communicator it wouldn't be at her home and would set off the alarms. Kim thought this was going over the top, but acquiesced when Jason said gently that everyone would sleep better at night; after Tommy had growled that he wasn't playing around with her and his child's safety and she just had to suck it up. Thankfully, it seemed that even Rita and her minions had to sleep as no attempt was made on Kim at night. After a few days of nothing, Tommy began to sleep again, confident that his family was at least safe from Rita and her schemes while they slept.

* * *

**A/N - Another chapter! Yes Kim's pregnant, I had a couple PMs wondering if that would happen and now you know!**

**As to their ages: I know canon has Tommy's birthday set in October with Kim's in February and while that's still true I'm changing things a bit having Tommy born in '78 and Kim born in '79. The other Rangers, however, are also born in '79 like Kim. No real reason to this, just felt like it.**

**For the timeline, the end of this chapter marks the end of February. The events of the 'Green with Evil' saga happened in early to mid November. Also, each season will take about the equivalent of a school year. Events possibly stretching into the summer or the new villain showing up in the summer instead of in September like Rita did.**

**Hope this helps any confusion you might have, I know it helped mine. Before editing this chapter was all over the place in terms of time of year and I was completely lost for a bit.**

**Review please!**


	6. Doomsday

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 6 – Doomsday **

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In late March, news came that the city of Angel Grove was planning a special day in honour of their heroes.

" '_And because of their contribution to justice and their unending efforts to protect the entire planet, Angel Grove city officials have declared today, Power Ranger Day!'_ " Kim squealed as she read the article in today's paper to her friends. " _'Mayor Carington hopes that the mysterious super heroes will make a public appearance in Angel Grove park where countless fans will be gathered to celebrate them.'_ I have feeling the Power Rangers will show up, don't you?" she shot them a conspiratory look causing them all to laugh.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Jason agreed as he clapped hands with Zack and led the way to their first period class. After school, the teens wasted no time in quickly heading home to drop off their school bags then head to the park where the celebration had already begun. There were balloons and streamers everywhere, kids ran around dressed as their favourite Ranger, a stage was set up for the mayor's tribute later on, and there were even vendors selling Power Ranger memorabilia. While none of the teens had become Rangers for the fame and glory, they couldn't deny it felt good to see their efforts were appreciated.

"Check it out man, all these people are here to see the Power Rangers." Zack said to Jason as they searched the crowd for their friends. "Hey Angela!" he called, rushing over to the girl he not-so-secretly liked. "Hey why don't we get together tonight and go out? I'm serious." He tried not to beg, but after the number of times she'd shot him down it was hard not to.

"Well Zack, if you were a Power Ranger, I'd say yes in a minute. Keep trying." She walked away as Jason burst into laughter.

"Nice to feel appreciated huh?" He said.

"Speaking of which, don't you think it's about time for us to morph into costume?" Jason grabbed Zack before he could run off and blow their identities.

"Woah, woah! We still got a little time, I mean, mingling with the crowed like this, we lessen the chances of anybody figuring out who we really are." Zack groaned but knew Jason was right, he couldn't blow their identities just to get a date.

"Hey, there they are!" Jason said, bringing Zack out of his stupor. The two of them walked over to their friends who had just arrived and were still marvelling at the scene around them.

"I can't believe all these people are here for the Power Rangers." Kimberly said, practically bouncing around in excitement.

"Easy Kim." Tommy said, though his smile gave away his own excitement. The teens wandered for a bit, talking to people and ensuring many people saw them before they left to morph. They were currently taking a turn around the vendors area, each exclaiming loudly every time they saw something dedicated to their 'favourite Ranger.'

"Oh my God." She squealed as she rushed over to a vendor selling stuffed toys of the Rangers' Zords. She picked up the one modeled after the Dragonzord and turned to show Tommy.

"Isn't it just the cutest?"

"The Dragonzord is not cute." Tommy defended. "It's big and ferocious looking." The other's laughed and Jason couldn't help but add his own thoughts.

"It is cute. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at the Dragonzord the same way again." Tommy sent a glare his way, but Trini was way ahead of him.

"Oh I wouldn't talk if I were you Jase. The Tyrannosaurus one is pretty cute too." She held up the red stuffed toy and smiled at him, daring him to disagree. Jason didn't try to deny it but he did reach over to take it from her, but Trini, who had been expecting this response, snatched the toy out of his reach, then handed the vendor ten dollars.

"You bought it?!" Jason exclaimed, unsure what to think of Trini owning proof that his Zord could be considered cute.

"It is adorable." She said smirking before continuing on to the next booth. "And don't you even think of trying to take it from me." Jason, who had followed her with that exact intent, hung his head in defeat, causing Billy and Zack to clap him on the back sympathetically; losing to Trini (and Kim) was a common occurrence. Kim smiled at her friends' antics before turning her attention to Tommy.

"You want it?" he asked, nodding to the toy in her hand. Her smile grew and Tommy sighed but pulled out his wallet anyway to pay the vendor.

"And of course it just had to be _another_ stuffed toy." He said, turning back to his girlfriend. "At least we won't have to buy any for the baby. A quarter of your collection would be enough stuffed toys for the rest of his life." Kim swatted him on the shoulder but did not deny the existence of such a collection.

"So, you guys ready to morph?" Jason asked when Kim and Tommy caught up with them.

"Oh yeah!" Zack said excitedly. "I gotta impress Angela." He added when his friends looked at him funny. Shaking their heads the others turned away from him.

"You joining us?" Jason asked Kim who shook her head.

"No, the suits are spandex. I know I'm not _that_ big yet, but it's enough to be noticeable. Besides, the Pink Ranger hasn't been seen for two months; it'd be a little weird if she showed up today then disappeared again. Questions would be asked." Though saddened they wouldn't all be together up there, the others knew Kim was right so didn't fight it.

Their plans, however, were interrupted by the arrival of Bulk and Skull who were dressed in weird superhero costumes, eye masks, cape and all.

"Out of our way!"

"Yeah, out of our way!" the two pushed passed the teens and made their way to the stage.

"What are they doing in those costumes?" Kim asked.

"Now this I've got to see." Jason said, the others silently agreed. This was weird, even for Bulk and Skull.

"Testing, testing." Bulk said into the mike, drawing everyone's attention. Bulk did the talking while Skull stood beside Bulk, hands on his hips and chest puffed out in a stereotypical superhero pose; though he dropped it to mimic Bulk as he always did. "Hello good citizens of Angel Grove, and welcome to this city's most historic moment. A moment when two of the most dynamic, powerful, incredible superheroes ever to walk the Earth decided to move to this fair city and protect it. Of course, I'm talking about myself and my sidekick. I'm The Incredible Bulkster!"

"And I'm Super Skull, bold and wonderful!" A chuckle rippled throughout the crowd, growing into a hearty laugh when a couple kids asked to see their super powers and Bulk and Skull responded by launching into a cringe-worthy routine of what they thought passed for martial arts. The audience was put out of their misery rather quickly, but not because Bulk and Skull stopped and got off the stage, but because they, along with the audience, disappeared.

"Woah! Where is everyone?" Kim asked, though they all had a pretty good idea of where who had done this, if not where the crowed had been taken.

"This is Rita's doing!"

"Jason to Command Centre, we have an emergency!"

"YES. I AM ALREADY PICKING IT UP, RANGERS. A POWERFUL VORTEX BEAM EMINATING FROM THE MOON APPEARS TO HAVE ENVELOPED EVERYONE IN ANGEL GROVE."

"I've got something, Zordon!" came Alpha's voice.

"GOOD. NOW LOCK THE SCANNER ONTO THE DIMENSIONAL BEAM AND TRACK ITS COORDINATES CAREFULLY, ALPHA. LOOK FOR ANY MOVEMENT TOWARDS EARTH."

"But how can the Moon move?"

"THE MOON CANNOT ALPHA, BUT RITA'S PALACE CAN. IF SHE BRINGS IT TO EARTH, AS I FEAR SHE MAY, IT WILL GREATLY INCREASE HER POWERS."

Zordon's prediction came true not a minute later when Rita's palace fell from the sky, planting itself right in the heart of downtown Angel Grove.

"We gotta do something!" cried Tommy.

"I think we got bigger problems here." Zack said, pointing upwards beside Rita's palace where a monster of gigantic proportions was rising from the ground.

"THEY HAVE ACTIVATED CYCLOPSIS, GOLDAR'S WARZORD."

"Goldar has a Zord?!" the Rangers asked.

"YES. RANGERS, YOU MUST MORPH TO DOWNTOWN ANGEL GROVE AND ACTIVATE THE MEGAZORD."

"Alright, let's do it."

"Be careful!" Kim cried as she stepped back, giving the others room.

"We will be." Tommy assured her.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason called as the five active Rangers swung their arms behind their backs.

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

When they teleported out, Kim activated her own communicator, joining Alpha and Zordon in the Command Centre.

"We need Dinozord power now!" Jason's voice called through the Viewing Globe. Kim immediately went over to the control panel and activated the Pterodactyl Zord remotely, sending it to join the others. She knew both Alpha and Zordon could do so, but there was very little she could do to help the Rangers right now, so she did whatever she could. The Megazord was quickly formed and the Rangers engaged Goldar and Cyclopsis. However, it became clear pretty fast that they alone were not strong enough.

"Hang on guys!" Tommy called from his place high a top a building, having a good view of the battle. Pulling out the Dragon Dagger, Tommy played the six notes to summon the Dragonzord. It always was a sight to see the Dragonzord rising from the bay, even Goldar could not deny that. "Switching to Dragonzord Battle Mode!" Tommy's Zord took the Tyrannosaurus' place, joining with the other Zords to create a super powered Megazord. Even with the new configuration, and the Tyrannosaurus at their side, the Rangers still found themselves knocked down one too many times.

"Sending in Titanus." Kim said, punching in a code on the control panel. She'd gotten good at that in the last couple months.

"Alright! Initiating Ultrazord!" It was their fervent hope that the Ultrazord would be powerful enough to handle Cyclopsis. If not they were in trouble. "Ultrazord's powered up and ready for action! Lock on and fire!" The Dinozords, Dragonzord and Titanus all opened fire on Cyclopsis, unleashing their full power. Thankfully, their combined strength was enough to neutralize this threat. But using up that strength left them vulnerable to Rita's retaliation. Using her wand, she created a giant sinkhole right underneath Titanus. The Rangers had just enough time to disengage the other Zords before Titanus disappeared and the ground closed over it.

"Titanus is gone!" Billy said as the Rangers watched in horror and disbelief. Their attention, however, was turned towards Rita's palace as a beam of energy left it, heading into space. The Rangers watched as the energy beam summoned something from deep space, not knowing what it was, but knowing it couldn't be good for Earth.

"RANGERS, TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTRE." Zordon said. The Rangers didn't hesitate. Titanus was gone, and whatever Rita had just summoned was undoubtedly more powerful than Cyclopsis, and they had barely defeated him. Arriving at the Command Centre, the Rangers removed their helmets, their eyes immediately going to the Viewing Globe where Rita's monster was destroying the city. Kim came over to her friends and latched onto Tommy, just as scared as they were, but also frustrated that she could do nothing to help. When they could watch no more, the Rangers turned to Zordon, hoping he had a plan.

"Zordon, what are we gonna do?" Trini asked.

"NOTHING UNTIL YOUR ZORDS ARE RE-ENERGIZED. ONLY THEN CAN YOU BATTLE LOKAR."

"So if we stop him, we stop Rita and the others, right Zordon?" Zack asked.

"YES ZACK. ALPHA IS SCANNING THE COMPUTER'S MEMORY FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LOKAR. IT SHOULD PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DEFEAT HIM."

"Zordon, what about all the people of Angel Grove? Where are they?" Billy asked.

"MY SENSORS INDICATE THAT THEY ARE ALL SAFE BUT OUT OF REACH IN RITA'S DIMENSIONAL VORTEX."

"We're they're only hope." Jason said.

"THAT IS CORRECT RANGERS. BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE THIS BATTLE, THEY WILL ALL BE TRAPPED IN RITA'S VORTEX FOREVER." Kim and Tommy's grip on each other tightened as the Rangers shared a look of impending doom. Just then the alarms blared throughout the room. The Rangers hesitated in turning towards the Viewing Globe; they didn't want to know what Rita could have done to make an already dire situation worse. After another anxious look towards one another, the Rangers turned around and groaned seeing the return of Cyclopsis.

"Didn't we just destroy him?" Zack asked.

"YES YOU DID. HOWEVER ONE OF LOKAR'S POWERS IS THE ABILITY TO RETURN RITA'S MONSTERS TO LIFE. LUCKILY, HE MUST CONTINUOUSLY USE HIS POWER TO MAINTAIN THEM."

"How, exactly, is that lucky?" Kim asked, as she began to hyperventilate, her hormones feeding her anxiety. "They barely defeated him the last time, and with Titanus gone…"

"Hey, hey." Tommy said, turning Kim towards him and cupping her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "It's gonna be ok. Breathe, Kim."

"How can you say that? The entire city's gone, we have to yet again defeat a nearly unbeatable monster, then defeat a second one before he can resurrect a third one. All the while dodging whatever else Rita throws at us. So how exactly is it going to be ok?"

"Because I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you or our baby." Tommy answered forcefully. "Losing to this monster puts both of you in grave danger so it's _not going to happen_." He made it sound so simple, as if he was simply stating a fact rather than trying to reassure her. And seeing the look in his eyes, and the unwavering determination through their bond, Kim believed him. Though she knew it could still go badly for them and for Earth, she just knew that Tommy would never let anything harm her or their child. Once Kim was sufficiently calm, the other Rangers came over and offered their support. None of them would let any harm come to Kim or the baby, but it went further just that. They wouldn't let anything happen to their family, which is exactly what they all were. Zordon looked down on the six teens with love and pride. They had risen to every challenge Rita had thrown at them, and he knew now would be no different. Together, the six of them could accomplish anything.

"So how exactly are we lucky Zordon?" Jason asked when the 'mushy moment' as he deemed it, was over.

"AS LOKAR NEEDS TO CONTINUOUSLY USE HIS POWER TO MAINTAIN CYCLOPSIS, HE CANNOT RESURRECT ANOTHER MONSTER AT THE SAME TIME, NOR CAN HE DEFEND HIMSELF WITHOUT BREAKING THE FLOW OF POWER, CAUSING CYCLOPSIS TO FALL AGAIN."

"So we go after Lokar then." Jason surmised. "If he can't protect himself he's vulnerable to attack, and if we defeat him, we defeat Cyclopsis too."

"In theory that is correct." Billy chimed in. "But unless I am mistaken Goldar is piloting Cyclopsis and will know enough to protect Lokar. Meaning we will have to go through Cyclopsis to get to Lokar."

"But maybe we don't have to actually defeat Cyclopsis, but just get him away from Lokar." Trini said, a plan formulating in her head. "We have the Dinozords and the Dragonzord. Once they are recharged, we can use the Megazord to engage Cyclopsis in battle while the Dragonzord goes after Lokar."

"Yeah." Zack agreed, liking what he was hearing. "Keep Goldie busy just long enough for Tommy to destroy Lokar."

"What do you think Zordon?" Jason asked their mentor.

"IT IS AS GOOD A PLAN AS ANY UNTIL WE KNOW MORE ABOUT LOKAR AND CYCLOPSIS."

"Alpha and I will keep searching the memory banks." Kim said. "There's over ten thousand years to go through, but we'll find something." The other's nodded.

"Billy, what's the update on the Zords?" Billy went to the control panel and punched in a few buttons.

"Still not fully re-energized, they took a real beating in the first battle with Cyclopsis."

"The Zords still need another seven hours to be fully re-charged." Added Alpha.

"We can't wait that long. We'll take them at half power." Jason said.

"Jason, if we do that we risk doing serious, even irreparable damage to the Zords." Billy cautioned.

"We don't have a choice. Angel Grove will be nothing but rubble in half the time they need."

"And the people in Rita's vortex." Trini added. "They're safe now. But if we have to wait seven hours, it may be too late."

"WHAT YOU ARE ASKING HAS NEVER BEEN TRIED BEFORE. IF THE ZORD'S FAIL, YOU AND EVERYTHING IN THE MORPHING GRID COULD VANISH FOREVER. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TRY THIS?"

"You know we do, Zordon." Jason said; the others nodded their agreement.

"VERY WELL, RANGERS. GOOD LUCK, AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU."

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Once the Rangers teleported out, Kim wasted no time in going to help Alpha look through the memory banks. The sooner they found an answer, the sooner they could defeat Cyclopsis. The battle did not go well for the Rangers. Within five minutes of engaging Cyclopsis, the Megazord had not only lost it's shields, but an arm as well.

"Hang on guys!" Tommy called. He and the Dragonzord had been laying low, looking for an opportunity to strike at Lokar, but seeing the imminent threat his friends were in, Tommy changed directions and came to their aid. It did not go very well for him either. One direct hit from Cyclopsis had the tip of the Dragonzord's tail coming clean off, just as the Megazord's arm had. A few more hits had both Zords lying prone on the ground, susceptible to an attack from Rita.

"Everything's overloading!" Zack cried as jolts of energy shot through the Megazord. When the attack stopped, great billows of smoke emanated from the Zords.

"We can't move!" Trini said as she and the others pressed every button, hoping for some kind of reaction.

"Dragonzord can't either!" Tommy called. He played his flute and the Dragonzord succeeded in raising its arm slightly before it dropped down again. Suddenly, both the Megazord and Dragonzord began to disintegrate.

"Rangers, abandon ship!" Jason commanded. The four of them jumped form the cockpit, de-morphing in the process, and landed in Angel Grove park and were quickly joined by Tommy.

"You guys ok?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah." They all replied.

"Jason to Command Centre." A half-hearted beep sounded from his communicator but nothing else. "Jason to Command Centre, do you read me?" he tried again, and again was met with no response.

"Rita must be jamming the frequency." Billy said. "We've lost all contact with Alpha and Zordon."

"And the Zords!" Zack said.

"They just came apart." Tommy added. "Just…dissolved."

"That was actually the new security system Zordon designed for the Zords." Billy reassured them. "See, if they lose in battle they automatically disassemble and return to their secret resting places to re-energize."

"So the Zords aren't destroyed?" Trini asked, needing clarification.

"Negative." Billy confirmed.

"But now we have no way of contacting them." Zack said.

"Maybe we do. I might have the equipment back at my garage to change the frequency on the communicators."

"Then let's move." Jason said, leading the way towards Billy's place.

**-T/K-**

Back at the Command Centre, Kim and Alpha had temporarily abandoned their search through the memory banks to try and locate the Rangers.

"ALPHA, STATUS REPORT."

"The Zords are safe and re-energizing."

"And the Rangers?" Kim asked.

"We've lost all contact, but the scanners indicate that they are safe and unharmed." Kim breathes a sigh of relief, lost communication she could deal with, injured or dying friends she could not.

"Right, come on Alpha, we have to find something on Lokar and Cyclopsis. If they're safe Billy will be doing all he can to fix the communicators and get back here and when they do we need to have a plan." For the next thirty minutes Kim and Alpha ploughed through ten thousand years worth of memory looking for any sign of Lokar or Cyclopsis. Within those thirty minutes, Rita had sent Goldar to stop the Rangers from fixing their communicators, but the Rangers were able to keep them away from Billy while he worked and finally fixed the communicators.

"Guys I did it, they're functional!"

"Impossible!" Goldar growled.

"We're outta here." Jason said, sending a smirk Goldar's way as the Rangers teleported out. Arriving at the Command Centre, Tommy's teleportation beam had barely disappeared when he was tackled by a petite projectile.

"Thank God you're alright!" Kim breathed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Tommy held her for a moment; having sensed her fear through the bond when the Zords went down, he knew she needed to reassure herself that he was alright.

"I'm fine, we're all fine." he murmured just before she pulled away.

"RANGERS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"Yeah, we're all in one piece." Zack said.

"THEN THERE'S NO TIME TO WASTE. WE MAY FINALLY HAVE A WAY TO DEFEAT CYCLOPSIS AND LOKAR."

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"Cyclopsis adjusts its attack techniques and power level to best that of it's opponent. But the adjustments take time." Alpha said.

"If you change battle modes a lot Cyclopsis won't have time to make the adjustments." Kim added. "It won't be at full strength and it'll become confused."  
"Leaving both it and Lokar open to attack." Jason finished.

"EXACTLY, RANGERS."

"What about the Zords?" Billy asked. "It's not possible for them to be re-charged even to half power yet."

"NO THERE IS NOT, AND SO I HAVE INFUSED THEM WITH SOME OF MY OWN ENERGY, IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET YOU THROUGH THIS BATTLE. TITANUS IS ALSO RE-CHARGED ENOUGH TO BREAK THROUGH AND JOIN YOU IN BATTLE. WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, CALL ON THE POWER OF ULTRAZORD AND FOCUS ALL ENERGY ON LOKAR WHILE CYCLOPSIS IS STILL WEAK."

"Then there's no time to lose." Tommy said.

"Remember, the faster you change modes, the weaker Cyclopsis gets." Reaffirmed Kim, the others nodded.

"MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU."

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Morphing into action, the Rangers called on their Zords. They first came at Cyclopsis in their individual Zords, using the change to Megazord as their first strike to weaken Cyclopsis.

"Dragonzord!" Tommy called from his usual place atop a building. "Battle Mode!" the Dragonzord joined forces with the Megazord, shooting off one attack before they reverted to Megazord then back to Battle Mode in quick succession.

"Alright, Titanus now!" Jason called "Ultrazord power up!" Within moments all the Zords combined together and focused all their firepower on Lokar.

"Lock on and fire!" Unleashing its full power, the Ultrazord made quick work of Lokar who exploded in typical monster fashion, Cyclopsis following close behind. Over the explosions, the Rangers could have sworn they heard Rita screeching at her minions as her palace lifted off the ground and went back into space before the Ultrazord had time to fire on her directly. With both Lokar and Cyclopsis gone for good, Rita's dimensional vortex was broken and the people of Angel Grove returned safe and sound. Kim watched the Viewing Globe as the people returned and rejoiced at being back. Clearly wherever they had gone they remembered it, and seeing the towering Ultrazord, it didn't take long for them to realize who had saved them. A great cheer went up, and people who had decided for whatever reason not to attend Power Ranger Day changed their minds; the crowd gathered in the park doubling in size by the time the Rangers left their Zords, Kim leaving the Command Centre, and arrived at the park.

"Look everyone, it's the Power Rangers!" Ernie cried, being the first to spot them at the back of the boisterous throng. As one the crowd turned, a deafening cheer rising up. People gathered around them, shaking their hands, thanking them, patting them on the back. Kim watched from afar, clutching her Dragonzord stuffed toy, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. The gratitude of the people was, of course, overwhelming, but it was the fact that they had succeeded, that Earth was safe and everyone had come out of it alive and well that really hit her.

"Clear the way! Clear the way for the Power Rangers!" Mayor Carrington called from her place at the podium, after having shooed Bulk and Skull off the stage. The Rangers started forwards, shaking hands as they went, high-fiving kids, even hugging a few people. When they passed by Kim they all took the time to clasp hands with her, looking her in the eyes and silently thanking her for her help. Tommy couldn't help but taking it a step further and pulling her into a hug, whispering 'I love you' low enough so only she could hear; something she eagerly reciprocated. Once they passed her, Kim was joined by Ernie who had a smile on his face, and, Kim thought, a knowing look in his eye.

"We're so lucky to have them." Ernie said.

"Yeah." Kim agreed, slightly on edge, unsure what exactly Ernie knew.

"Where are the others? I thought at least Tommy would be with you; that boy sticks to you like glue."

"We got separated by the crowd. I'm sure they're around here somewhere." She answered with a tone of indifference. Ernie nodded.

"Well when they turn up, thank them for me will you? And you too, Kim. Thanks."

"For what?"

"You guys are always helping out and I don't think I've ever really thanked you for it."

"O-ok." She stuttered, he definitely knew something. Ernie patted her on the shoulder, giving her a small smile before turning to leave. Her brain catching up, Kim called out to him, wanting to find out if she was going crazy or not.

"Hey Ernie! We don't mind helping out. Anytime we're needed, we'll be there." She left the statement broad, and Ernie's simple smile and nod of his head spoke volumes of what he knew. Wondering what to tell Zordon about a civilian knowing their identities, Kim turned back towards the stage seeing the Rangers had just made it that far.

"As the Mayor of Angel Grove City, it is with great pride that I stand here before you in the presence of true heroes. They have risked their lives countless times for the safety of our city and its people. They are true examples of good triumphing over evil and now it is time to thank them. They are the Power Rangers!" Mayor Carrington said, keeping her speech short and turning the Rangers over to their adoring fans. The Rangers stood on stage waving for a bit, allowing photos to be taken, before they decided it was enough. Exhausted from battle, and having made their appearance, the Rangers teleported out; though did so from the stage, giving the crowd a small sample of some of their powers. Once they were gone, the crowd dispersed, back to the vendors and games, enjoying the rest of the day. Kim snuck away from the celebration to where she could safely teleport out without being seen. Arriving at the Command Centre, she was greeted by her friends who were in a celebratory mood of their own. However, before they could relax, Zordon had something to say.

"CONGRATULATIONS POWER RANGERS. VICTORY IS YOURS. YOU HAVE DEALT RITA A SERIOUS BLOW AND HAVE PROVEN YOURSELVES TO BE THE MIGHTIEST HEROES ON EARTH."

"Thanks Zordon." Jason said, thinking that was all he had to say, but he was wrong.

"RANGERS, THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO CHOOSE AGAIN."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"YOU HAVE GONE FAR BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AND HAVE SAVED YOUR WORLD FROM A TERRIBLE FATE. AND ALTHOUGH THE DANGER HAS NOT PASSED COMPLETELY, YOU MAY NOW CHOOSE WHETHER YOU WISH TO REMAIN POWER RANGERS OR RETURN TO YOUR REGULAR LIVES. THE DECISION IS YOURS."

The Rangers smiled up at him. They knew their decision, they knew that Zordon knew their decision, but instead of assuming he had asked, and though their decision would not change, they were happy he cared enough to lay the choice before them instead of being presumptuous.

"There's no choice to be made, Zordon." As leader Jason spoke, knowing if any of them disagreed with him they'd speak up. "I think we all feel the same way."

"Yeah." Kim agreed. "We're the Power Rangers."

"_All_ of us." Tommy added, looking down at Kim, ensuring she knew she was included in this, even though it would be awhile before she could fight again.

"We're in this till the end." Said Trini.

"But it doesn't end with Rita. The reason you chose us was because you believed we had what it takes to stop evil from destroying and concurring." Zack said.

"There are other villains, other evil beings to stop from destroying our world." Added Billy.

"You've taught us so much, Zordon, and we've come so far. We don't want to abandon that now." Explained Trini.

"So in other words," Zack started with a smirk. "You can't get rid of us!" The others chimed in in agreement, and Zordon smiled down at them, proud of them once more.

"I AM VERY PLEASED TO HEAR YOU SAY THOSE THINGS. THE WORLD IS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. AND SO AM I. MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU ALWAYS."

"Aye yai yai! All this human emotion!" Alpha said, to which the Rangers laughed, Kim and Trini unable to resist pulling their robot friend into a hug.

"Guys." Jason said, his hand held out in front of him, a playful smile on his face. The others knew exactly was he was getting at and placed their hands on top of his, forming a circle. Raising their arms above them and jumping up as one, they cried,

"Power Rangers!"

* * *

**A/N - Two chapters in two days: the result of a rare weekend with no work ;)**

**As you've noticed I've changed things up a bit and Doomsday has happened before The Green Candle; though I promise you Green Candle's coming up soon. Episode switch ups like this will happen more than once.**

**Review Please!**


	7. Movement

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Movement**

* * *

A month had passed since Power Rangers Day and Kim was now 5 ½ months along. In that month the baby had grown enough so that it was now glaringly obvious she was pregnant. A month ago she might have been able to hide it under baggy clothes, but no more. This fact brought along a whole new set of challenges for Kim and Tommy. Namely that Tommy had become more and more protective the bigger Kim got. One of these times came as Kim, Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy were entering the Youth Centre when Tommy was working one day after school. Seeing no tables, the group approached the bar. Tommy spotted them and waved but stopped when he saw Kim trying to hop on to one of the tall bar stools.

"Kim!" Tommy cried, rushing over and catching her arm; leading her over to a table which two classmates vacated for her. "You can't be hopping on to stools taller then you are." Kim rolled her eyes.

"I'm pregnant, Tommy, not crippled." She growled. "I am perfectly capable of sitting wherever I want." Jason and the gang found these little spats highly amusing, if not repetitive. They all followed the same pattern: Tommy would be over protective, Kim would tell him off, Tommy wouldn't back down, Kim's hormones would act up and she'd threaten him in some way, and Tommy would back off fearing for his life. Predictable, but highly amusing for anyone who wasn't Tommy. Having seated his girlfriend and friends, Tommy went back around the counter to get their regular smoothies. Ernie came out of the back with a tray full of burgers and fries, and seeing Kim and the gang, told Tommy to take a break and join them. Tommy smiled and thanked Ernie, once again feeling grateful for the job Ernie had given him.

Shortly after Tommy had started working, he got the impression that Ernie didn't really need help, but had given him a job because of the baby. Ernie didn't work him hard, in fact the exact opposite. He always let Tommy off early, told him to take two-hour breaks and then paid him for all his scheduled hours. He was only earning minimum wage, but with 25 scheduled hours a week, he was earning quite a bit, especially as he was only actually working about half that. Both Tommy and Kim's parents had more then just helped out. There were three nurseries being set up, one at the Oliver's, the DeLampert's, and finally at the Hart's that were fully furnished. Add that to the baby shower they both knew their mothers and Jason's mother were planning and their baby would be pretty much set for awhile. So whatever money Tommy earned was being saved up for later for when their baby grew and they grew; so when the time came for them to leave him and support themselves and their baby, they'd have something set aside to start with.

Ranger battles were as frequent as ever. If Rita couldn't get her hands on Kim and the baby, she seemed intent on destroying the Rangers. Or since she also seemed incapable of that too, she would make the Rangers lives as difficult as possible. Tommy was glad that Kim and their baby were either safe in the Command Centre, or the Youth Centre covering for the others, during every battle. The Rangers were also certain that Ernie knew they were the Power Rangers. After Kim told them about her talk with Ernie at Power Rangers Day, the gang began paying closer attention to Ernie's behaviour and had concluded that he did indeed know. He never once mentioned anything and the Rangers were only too happy to follow his example, but not only did he never question when they ran off, often not paying for their food, but had also covered for them. One time Tommy had come home after a battle to his mom telling him not to work too hard.

"What do you mean?" he had asked cautiously.

"All those extra hours at the Youth Centre. I called over there when you didn't show up for dinner and Ernie said you were working late again." Tommy 'working late' became a common thing and they were all thankful to Ernie yet again.

**-T/K-**

The following week, Mr. Caplan roped the teens into showing a couple of future students from Angel Grove Junior High around the school. The two eighth graders, Ashley Hammond and Carlos Vallerte, were to shadow them around school for the day to get an idea of what classes and high school life were like. The two met the Rangers in front of the office shortly before first period and fit in rather easily with the group. Ashley and Carlos were friendly, kind, not troublemakers, and maybe most importantly could handle Bulk and Skull. Upon seeing their favourite targets ushering two middle schoolers around, Angel Grove High's resident bullies could not pass up the chance to take a jab at them.

"Well isn't this cute." Bulk said, coming up behind Ashley and Carlos as they and the Rangers sat in the cafeteria for lunch. Skull sidled up beside Kim, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Kim had hoped that if one good thing came of her pregnancy it would be that it turned Skull off her, but even that wasn't enough. Making a noise of disgust and shuddering out of his embrace Kim moved towards Tommy, smiling sweetly when Tommy glared at him and pulled her close.

"What do you want Bulk?" Trini asked in a tired voice. Not a day went by when Bulk and Skull didn't try something and she was not in the mood today; Rita had kept them out late and so they were all pretty tired.

"Oh nothing. Just wondering what goody goodies like you could possibly teach them about high school." Bulk answered.

"Yeah, what can you teach them?" Skull parroted. "How to be geeks?"

"Oh I don't know." Carlos chimed in. "We've been here only half a day and they've taught us plenty."

"Yeah, like how not to end up as petty, jealous, bullies who live in detention and couldn't find their way out of a cardboard box." Added Ashley. Bulk's smirk faded and he narrowed his eyes at the two new comers. Skull, taking his cue from Bulk like always, stood up as well.

"Well then let us teach you something too." He said. "Like how to respect your betters." Bulk grabbed Carlos by the shirt and hoisted him out of his seat while Skull placed a firm hand on Ashley's shoulder. The Rangers immediately stood up to come to their younger friends' aid but it was unnecessary. Carlos grabbed Bulk's arm and turned swiftly, sending Bulk flying at the same time that Ashley stood and removed Skull's arm, pushing him away from her. Skull crashed into Bulk and the two were sent tumbling head first into the nearby garbage cans. With looks of surprise, wonder and pride, the Rangers congratulated the two on how they handled the situation, commenting on their techniques, to which Carlos and Ashley replied that characters like Bulk and Skull weren't unique to high school and they had dealt with their fair share of bullies. The rest of the day went by quickly and the Rangers were sorry to see their new friends go. The Rangers said goodbye to Carlos first whose father came to pick him up. Kim, who was in deep conversation with Ashley about cheerleading, which she had had to give up when she got pregnant, offered to walk the younger women to meet her mother in the student parking lot. It was there that Kim's day went from good to bad, though for once it wasn't Rita's fault. Upon seeing her mom, Ashley waved and yelled she'd be there in a sec before turning to thank Kimberly and give her a parting hug. However, their goodbye was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Hammond who stormed over and dragged her daughter away from Kim.

"Ashley Hammond I thought I told you to stay away from her when I agreed to let you come today!"

"But mom-"

"No buts. There are many other nice young girls at Angel Grove High, you do not need to be associating with the school slut who couldn't keep her legs closed." Shooting a scathing look Kim's way, Mrs. Hammond pulled a protesting Ashley away. Kim stood there frozen for a bit, unable to believe that that had actually just happened. She knew people would be disapproving and unaccepting of her pregnancy, what with her being a teenager and all, but so far it had been very minimal and she had been able to ignore the looks she got from strangers around town; never had someone openly confronted or insulted her. A lone tear slid down her cheek and Kim placed a protective hand over her belly. She knew it was bound to happen eventually, but she had been totally unprepared for it today and it hurt. Knowing her friends would be looking for her soon and not wanting to face them just yet, Kim teleported to the one place she had always felt safe: the Command Centre.

"Aye yai yai Kimberly! What is wrong?" Alpha asked upon seeing her. Not only was it unusual for one of them to teleport in when nothing was attacking the city, but it was obvious even to the robot that something was wrong.

"I'm ok, Alpha." Kim said, giving him a sad smile.

"TO THE CONTRARY KIMBERLY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE NOT OK." Zordon said, concern lacing his voice as he looked down on one of his pseudo children.

"I need to go check the main power grid." Alpha said as he, in a rare understanding of human emotion, hastened out of the room leaving Kim alone with Zordon.

"WHAT IS WRONG, KIMBERLY?" he asked again after the door closed behind Alpha. Kim's face crumbled as she allowed her hormone fuelled hurt, sadness and anger to overtake her.

"Oh Zordon! It's just…the guys and I were showing two junior high kids around the high school today. Everything was going great, they were really nice and all, but when I was saying goodbye to the girl, Ashley, her mother came over and pulled her away saying she didn't want her daughter to 'associate with the school slut who couldn't keep her legs closed.' I know…I know not everyone accepts or approves of my pregnancy, I mean…as far as everyone's concerned she's right! So far as anyone knows I just had careless sex and now have to deal with the consequences. I'm used to getting disapproving looks but no one's ever actually said anything to me. And it hurts, Zordon. It hurts that someone could just say those things when they don't know the truth, don't know me. She hates me and she doesn't even know me! And if she does I'm sure others do to, and if strangers can hate me what about those who actually know me? My classmates, teachers, friends, family…they've never said anything to me but what if they think that too? What if they're just being nice because they feel bad for me, or my family who feels obligated to help me? What if-"

"KIMBERLY, YOU CAN SPEND MORE THAN ONE LIFETIME WONDERING 'WHAT IF.'"

"But what if she's right? No one knows, or can know, what really happened, so what if in their eyes I really am just a slut who couldn't keep my legs shut? What if I've been living in denial this whole time and my classmates, teachers and…and my parents have been thinking that all along? Where does that leave me? What if everyone leaves me? Who do I have then?"

"YOU HAVE TOMMY AND THE OTHER RANGERS. YOU HAVE ALPHA AND YOU HAVE ME." Kim looked up at him through tear filled eyes. "LISTEN TO ME KIMBERLY, NO MATTER WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE FRIENDS, FAMILY, WHO CARE FOR YOU. TOMMY LOVES YOU. HIS LOVE RUNS SO DEEP IT HAS FORMED A BOND WITH A STRENGTH OF WHICH I HAVE NEVER SEEN IN MY SIX MILLION YEARS. THE OTHER RANGERS LOVE YOU AS WELL, AS DO ALPHA AND I. SHOULD THE WORST HAPPEN, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A HOME HERE." Kim smiled slightly, his words calming her somewhat. "BUT PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT THE WORST WILL NOT HAPPEN. THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU CARE FOR YOU GREATLY, NO MATTER WHAT THEY MAY BELIEVE YOU HAVE DONE. YOU WILL NEVER FIND UNIVERSAL APPROVAL, NO BEING EVER WILL, BUT IT IS THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU WHOM YOU SHOULD CONCERN YOURSELF WITH, NOT WITH STRANGERS WHO, AS YOU RIGHTLY SAID, DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU. AND THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU HAVE NOT ONLY ACCEPTED WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BUT EMBRACED IT; EMBRACED IT FOR YOU, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WISH YOU OUT OF THEIR LIVES NO MATTER WHAT. THE HURT YOU FEEL IS JUSTIFIED, NO ONE SHOULD BE ATTACKED WITHOUT TRUE CAUSE. BUT YOU ARE STRONG, KIMBERLY, YOU HAVE OVERCOME GREAT ADVERSITY AND YOU CAN OVERCOME WHAT THIS WOMAN, AND WHAT OTHERS, CAN THROW AT YOU." Kim wiped her tears away and smiled a true smile up at her friend and mentor.

"Thanks, Zordon." She said after a moment. "I know what you say is true. My parents and friends love me, and Tommy, and they'll love our child. And I should be used to this or at least prepared for it. I guess it's just hormones acting up again…"

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HURT YOU FEEL, NOR SHOULD YOU TRY TO CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT WHAT THIS WOMAN SAID AND THE WAY SHE SAID IT IS OK AND SHOULD BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS ALONE. YOU MAY COME SEE ME WHENEVER YOU WISH. THOUGH I AM SURE THERE IS ANOTHER WHO WOULD ONLY BE TOO HAPPY TO HELP YOU AS WELL." Zordon's eyes alighted on something behind Kim and, turning to see what it was, she came face to face with Tommy.

"How long have you been there?" she asked, accepting his help to stand.

"The whole time." He answered honestly. "I felt your emotions spike and came to find you."

"Guess you think I'm pretty stupid…"

"No." he said empathically. "You're not stupid, Kim. What you're feeling is not stupid. And I'm sorry it happened. It's all my fault. If I'd never-"

"Hey don't you start." She interrupted. "There's only room for one of us to fall apart, and I'm pregnant so I win." She smiled up at him playfully, her eyes clearly telling him she was alright now. Tommy smiled back at her.

"Ok, you win." He conceded. Tommy wrapped his arms around Kim and held her close, happy when he felt her arms come around him and hold him right back. She leaned her head against his chest closed her eyes, drawing comfort from him. Eventually the two pulled apart and turned back to Zordon.

"Thanks Zordon." Kim said. He merely smiled down at them, watching with love and pride as the two teleported out in beams of green and pink. Kim and Tommy told their friends about the confrontation with Ashley's mother, though not about Kim's subsequent melt down, and with good reason. Their four friends immediately jumped to her defense; Jason muttering something about what he'd do if someone harmed his little sister ever again. So it was with no surprise that the four jumped up, standing protectively in front of Kim, when Ashley and Carlos walked into the Youth Centre and headed their way. Ashley and Carlos stopped, knowing immediately by the gang's reaction that the entire group knew what had happened; Kim's forced smile also spoke volumes.

"Hi guys." Ashley said, greeting the table before turning towards Kim. "Kim, I just wanted to apologize for what my mom said. She was way out of line and I really wanted you to know that her opinion is _not _my own."

"Same here." Carlos added. Kim's smile turned genuine and she felt tears prickling her eyes, though she forced them back.

"Thank guys." She said, touched that they had gone out of their way, and against Ashley's mother, to tell her this. Once it was clear Ashley and Carlos were not here to upset Kim, the others relaxed and pulled up two more chairs for their new friends, glad that they still were friends.

**-T/K-**

A couple weeks later, Kim was lying in bed exhausted though unable to sleep, as she couldn't find a comfortable position with her belly. She also had to pee nearly every half hour and she was craving chocolate. And pickles. Looking at her clock, Kim saw that it was just past midnight. Deciding that if she had to suffer so did Tommy, she raised her communicator to her lips.

"Tommy come in." she said. Not even a second later he answered.

"Yeah, Kim, are you ok?"

"I want a milkshake. A large chocolate one from McDonalds."

"A milkshake? Kim it's after midnight."

"And I'm lying here unable to sleep because of _your_ child!" she growled. "I want a milkshake."

"Ok. Alright, I'll drive to McDonalds and get one. I'll be there soon." He said, thinking it better to just agree with her.

"And pick up a jar of pickles too. We're out." Tommy sighed, but confirmed he heard her. He got out of bed and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt that he'd thrown on the floor before getting into bed. About a week ago Kim entered the 'I'm fat and you don't love me' stage; and apparently had now entered the 'I have weird cravings that get you out of bed at midnight' stage. The books he had read, as well as the long talk he and his mother had had shortly after they told her about the baby, had given him the technical knowledge about what Kim was going through. Then a talk with Kim's father had prepared him for what he was actually supposed to do with that knowledge. His mother had given him the scientific explanation about hormones and the baby's growth, and Kim's father had explained to him the stages: the 'I'm fat and you don't love me' stage, the 'I have weird cravings that get you out of bed at midnight' stage, and the 'I'm even more fat and it's all your fault' stage, were the main three, though he said there were many variations of them. The best thing to do was agree with them at all times and do everything they said. At least unless it was completely crazy; at which point you have to stay calm and try to reason with them. It was a fifty/fifty shot, he had been told; sometimes they listen to reason, sometimes they storm away in fit of pregnant hormonal rage. Once dressed, Tommy quietly opened the door and creeped upstairs, doing his best to not make much noise. He made it to the front door and got his first shoe on when he heard a voice coming from behind him.

"Kim called?" asked Mark from his place on the kitchen doorway. Tommy jumped and whirled around to face his father, holding a hand to his heart.

"Man, dad. You scared me."

"I can see that."

"Yeah, Kim called. She wants a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds. And some pickles."

"Ah the weird craving stage." He said. "I wish I had advice to impart to you." It was said with no regret. Tommy always knew he was adopted and that his parents couldn't have kids of their own, thus the reason Kim's father had been giving Tommy advice instead of his own dad, but his parents were his parents, blood relation or not. Mark went over to the fridge and pulled out a mostly full jar of pickles. "Here, take them to her. Save you at least one stop." Tommy smiled as he took the jar from his father.

"Thanks dad."

"Tommy." Called Mark as his son headed for the door. "I'm proud of you, son. You're really stepping up; taking responsibility for your mistakes. You and Kimberly."

"Thanks dad. But just so we're clear, we may not have planned for Kim to get pregnant; but our child is not a mistake." Said Tommy firmly. He was glad his parents were proud of him, but wanted it made very clear that their child was not a mistake. Mark nodded in understanding, both liking his son's love and loyalty to his family, and being slightly concerned by the fierceness and force of the sixteen-year-old's conviction. Tommy sent his father one last smile before he went out the door and hopped into his car. Within fifteen minutes he had gone through the drive thru at McDonalds, getting the biggest chocolate milkshake they had, and arrived at Kim's house. Caroline had apparently been watching for him because the front door opened before he was even up the steps.

"She's upstairs." Said Caroline, letting Tommy in without any hesitation.

"I'm sorry about the hour, Mrs. DeLampert. I won't be long." He apologized.

"Take as long as you want. Stay the night if it helps."

"Really?" he asked, unsure if she meant to allow him to sleep with her daughter.

"She's already pregnant, you can't do much more. And she's keeping the rest of us up with the pacing and constant trips to the bathroom." Tommy chuckled and nodded his thanks as he kicked his shoes off and went upstairs to Kim's room. He found her pacing, her hands on her hips supporting her lower back.

"Hey Beautiful."

"Finally!" she said, walking forward and taking the milkshake from him then resuming her pacing.

"I brought the pickles as well." He said, placing the jar on her bedside table. He watched her pace for a bit, taking in how she kept one hand supporting her back at all times, and the uncomfortable look that had graced her face since he arrived.

"Beautiful, what's wrong?"

"Your child won't settle down."

"He's moving?" Tommy jumped up and rushed to her, placing his hands on her stomach excitedly. "We haven't felt him move before."

"No." she replied, pushing his hands away and continuing her pacing. "If he was finally moving I wouldn't complain so much. I've been waiting to feel him move since I was sixteen weeks. There's just this really uncomfortable pressure on my bladder that won't go away. I can't sleep cause it's just painful enough so I can't relax or even get comfortable, the pressure on my bladder makes me pee every two minutes and standing is putting too much pressure on my back, which is now hurting." She complained, tears of frustration coming to her eyes. Tommy let her finish her milkshake and eat two pickles before he tried to help her.

"Come on, why don't you pee one more time so you don't wake up in the night, and then I'll help you get to sleep."

"Don't you have to go home?"

"No," he said shaking his head. "Your mom said I could stay and my dad knows I'm here so he won't worry if I don't come home." Kim smiled at him and followed his advice, going to the bathroom yet again. When she returned, Kim climbed back into bed and propped her head up on the pillows that Tommy had set up. Tommy himself turned off the main light, leaving only the bedside lamp, before he climbed into bed beside her. He pulled the covers over them, only up to the waist leaving her belly uncovered.

"Just try to relax Kim." He said and he began gently massaging her belly. After a couple minutes the pressure in her lower abdomen subsided a bit and Kim moaned in pleasure.

"Oh, Tommy, that feels so good." Tommy smiled, seeing her finally start to relax and kept up his ministrations. They laid there in silence for awhile, the only sounds being their breathing and Kim's occasional moan of delight as Tommy's hands eased her discomfort. The two of them were just about to drift off to sleep when they both felt a pulse from within her. Tommy's hand stilled and their eyes flew open. Kim brought her hand up to meet Tommy's and the two of them waited in silence, hoping for another pulse. They weren't disappointed and the two parents-to-be broke out into wide smiles.

"He moved." Breathed Kim, as yet another movement was felt, this time bigger. "I think…I think he's turning over…or kicking or…hell I don't care he's moving!" Tommy nodded and laced his fingers with hers.

"I love you." He whispered. "Both of you." Kim smiled and settled down onto the bed, laying her head on Tommy's chest.

"We love you too." Tommy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the head as the two drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N - I'm on a roll this week!**

**Review please!**


	8. The Green Candle

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Green Candle**

* * *

June came, and with it a whole new problem for Kim and Tommy. This time, however, it did not come in the form of Rita or mean, condescending adults, but in the form of Jason.

"Come on Kim!" He begged as they walked into the Youth Centre one day after school, Tommy ensuring Kim was comfortably seated before heading behind the counter to start his shift.

"No." she replied for what she was sure was at least the seventeenth time in the twenty minutes since school ended.

"Please?!"

"No Jason!" she growled, getting really fed up. The others leaned back in their chairs, knowing the wrath of Kim would soon be making an appearance.

"Please, Ptera! I wanna know if I'm gonna have a niece or nephew!"

"And I said no, Jason! Tommy and I decided we wanted to be surprised." Kim and Tommy had decided months ago to wait for their child to be born before they learned his/her gender. Though admittedly they'd been calling him a 'he' since the beginning. They had kept quiet knowing people would badger them about it and so far it was worked. Their parents, Billy, Trini, and Zack had all clued in that the two wanted to wait and so didn't mention a word about it. Jason too caught on and in the early days was more than happy to abide by Kim and Tommy's wishes. However that all changed the moment he had felt the baby move. The day after Kim and Tommy had felt him move for the first time they walked around with silly grins all day. Their friends had planned to question them at lunch, but the proud parents beat them to it, the news their baby had moved practically burst out in excitement. The Rangers had congregated around Kim wanting to feel the baby move too, but were disappointed that he was being still. It was later that evening when Jason was driving Kim home from the Youth Centre where Tommy had stayed to help unload a shipment that baby Oliver had decided to move again. Kim had grabbed Jason's hand and placed it over her belly, smiling brightly. When he felt the tiny pulse a smile had broken out on Jason's face and from that moment on he had seemingly caught baby fever and had begun his campaign to find out the gender.

"Let it go, Jase, please." Tommy asked as he brought over their usual order. "It's only a couple more months and then you'll not only know the gender, but be able to hold him or her as well." Jason pouted, but a glare from Kim had him sealing his mouth shut. Billy took this as his cue to pull out his textbooks and begin the study session in preparation of next week's final exams. Kim sighed but resigned herself to studying; she needed to pass all her exams. Her baby was due in early August and she really didn't want to spend her last month of pregnancy in summer school.

**-T/K-**

The following Friday, Kim was sitting in English class with Ms. Applebee, idly rubbing small circles on her protruding belly. She had completed her exam, her final exam, some ten minutes ago, but instead of joining the loud crowds in the hallways, celebrating the end of the school year, she had elected to remain seated in the quiet classroom. The baby had been kicking almost non-stop for two days, letting Kim get very little sleep, and making her very irritable. Tommy was holding it together for her, though he too had been getting little sleep. Their bond allowed him to feel her discomfort, meaning that every night when she couldn't sleep he was there comforting her and helping in any way he could. She was eternally grateful to him, but for the first time since it's formation, she was wishing their bond didn't exist.

'_Ok, maybe not that it doesn't exist.' _She relented. She loved the fact that they had a bond, but the lack of sleep was taking its toll on Tommy and Rita's increased attacks weren't helping. She was worried Tommy would get hurt and had tried to block her discomfort from her end of the bond to allow him to get some sleep, but to no avail. He always knew, and he was always there ready to help however he could. He joked that it was good practice for when the baby arrived as he knew they'd get little sleep with a newborn. Bringing her mind back to the present, Kim yet again wiped the sweat off her face. Though it was still a few hours before the summer holidays started, the summer heat of southern California had arrived with a vengeance. She wanted the day to end so she could go home and sit in her air-conditioned house. Finally the bell rang and Kim jumped up, barely hearing Ms. Applebee wish them a pleasant holiday as she ran, '_or rather waddled'_ she thought bitterly, to the door. She had just stepped into the hallway when she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She cried out, letting her books drop to the floor as she grabbed her belly. The entire hallway stopped in their tracks and the ten closest people ran to her side. She heard shouts of "Get Tommy! He's in Mr. Jackson's Science class!" "Someone get her a chair!" and "Someone call an ambulance!" Thankfully only the first two were followed, and Jason and Billy, who were in English with her, pushed their way forward with a chair.

"Kim!" they cried as they came forward and sat her down.

"Are you feeling labour pains?" asked Billy. "While two months pre-mature is by no means ideal, there are many recorded instances of both mother and baby coming through the birth practically unscathed." Kim sent Billy a glare, but was stopped from saying anything when Jason began panicking.

"Labour. You're in labour, she's in labour!" the last part was said loud enough for the kids in the hall to hear, but Jason paid them no mind. Once Billy said 'labour,' he heard nothing else. "Ok uh…breathe, deep slow breaths, isn't that what you told me the birthing class taught you?"

"Jason." Said Kim.

"It's ok Kim, I'm here, and Tommy will be here soon, just breathe."

"Jason-"

"In, out, slow even breaths."

"Jason-"

"It's ok, Tommy's on his way. Tommy's here!" he said, seeing Tommy pushing his way through the crowed.

"Kim, you're in labour?" he asked, kneeling in front of her. Kim said nothing but stared at him with a peeved look, waiting to see if he'd say anything else.

"Kim, Beautiful, speak to me." He begged.

"You're gonna let me talk? Or are you gonna be like Jason here and start panicking?" she shot Jason a dirty look and Tommy decided to take that as a hint and let her talk.

"No, I'm gonna let you talk. And I hope it'll answer the question of why Shaun over there ran into my science class yelling that you were in labour." Kim gave an exasperated sigh before turning to face Tommy.

"I'm not in labour." She said, effectively dispersing most of the crowed. "They were Braxton Hicks contractions, false labour."

"You're sure?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, the birthing class instructor told me how to tell the difference. They just caught me by surprise, it's the first time I've felt them."

"And you're sure?" he asked again.

"Tell you what, start counting and if they get closer together and last longer, then you'll know I'm in actual labour." She said, accepting his help up. "Oh, and my water breaking, that's another big clue." Tommy caught the condescending tone and merely nodded his head. "Have the birthing classes been wasted on you? Or did you just forget in your panic?" Tommy stopped in his tracks, seeing the peeved look still on her face.

"Forgot in my panic?" he phrased it as a question and Kim raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, definitely forgot in my panic." He said more confidently, leading her to the door and expertly changing the subject.

**-T/K-**

The first month of summer passed with very little excitement, except that Kim was now eight months pregnant and, according to the doctors, could go into labour at anytime. This news both excited and worried the soon-to-be parents. They wanted to hold their child, especially Kim who was tired of being pregnant, but the thought of their child arriving, of actually becoming parents, scared them more then Rita ever had. At least it did, until Rita upped her game.

On a day cooler then they had had in weeks, Kim convinced Tommy to take her on a picnic in the park saying it would be one of the last times a trip to the park would be used for a romantic date before it became all about a swing-set and slide. Unable to say no, Tommy enlisted the help of his mother in making a picnic basket full of Kim's favourites. Packing it, and his heavily pregnant girlfriend, into his car, he drove them to the park and set up at their favourite spot by the water. The two spent a pleasant afternoon together, laughing and talking of anything and everything they could think of. They were so caught up in each other that it was almost too late when Tommy noticed the grey clay-head sneaking up on them.

"Look out!" He cried, jumping up and hitting the Putty with a swift kick to the stomach.

"Putties!" Kim cried, seeing they were surrounded.

"Teleport to the Command Centre. Now!" Tommy ordered. Kim didn't argue but before she could activate the teleportation device in her communicator two Putties grabbed her from behind.

"Tommy!" She cried, struggling to get away but at the same time being cautious to not jerk too much. If she fell or got hit in the wrong way, she could lose the baby. Tommy felt an all too familiar rage build up inside him and his eyes flashed green. Using that strength, Tommy launched himself at the Putties holding Kim. He quickly dispatched them and caught her before she could fall. But the time used save Kim had allowed the other Putties to sneak up on Tommy. They grabbed him all together and held him fast as he thrashed against them.

"Tommy!" Kim called once again, this time, however, it wasn't from fear of her own capture, but his.

"Kim get out of here!" he called back.

"But-!"

"NOW!" Kim was about to do as he asked, knowing she'd be of no help, but her attention was drawn away from her communicator to the metal monkey who had just appeared.

"It's Goldar!"

"What do you want now metal head?" Tommy asked. Goldar merely laughed and stabbed his sword into the ground, causing Tommy and the Putties to disappear.

"Tommy, no!"

"Ha ha! Say goodbye to Green Ranger forever!" Goldar too disappeared and Kim wasted no time in teleporting out. Landing in the main chamber, she frantically informed Zordon of what had happened.

"He's gone, Zordon! Rita has him again." Tears streamed down her face as every thing Rita could be doing to him ran through her mind.

"WE WILL FIND HIM, KIMBERLY, DO NOT FEAR."

"I know we'll find him. I just hope we're not too late." She whispered, as she slid to the ground and wrapped her arms protectively around her belly. She didn't notice as four beams of light entered the room, nor when four voices frantically called her name, but when two strong arms wrapped around her Kim turned into them, knowing immediately who it was.

"It's ok, Ptera." Jason murmured as Kim began to sob. "We'll get him back. He'll be fine and we'll get him back." The other Rangers looked at their friend from their places around the Command Centre. Upon arriving, their first instinct had been to go to Kim, but at Jason's prompting they had begun the search for Tommy, leaving Jason to comfort Kim, knowing if anyone besides Tommy could, it would be him. That did not mean, however, that they weren't worried for both her and their unborn niece or nephew.

"I CAN'T GET A LOCK ON HIM." Zordon told the Rangers. "RITA MUST BE HOLDING HIM IN HER DIMENSIONAL PRISON."

Kim's sobs increased with this news and Jason began to really worry.

"Kim, sweetie, you have to calm down." He begged. "Think of the baby. You don't want to go into pre-mature labour. We will get him back, I promise. But you have to calm down!" His words finally reached her and he felt her nod against his shoulder. Slowly, the sobs quieted and the shaking stopped to which everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Billy, you come up with anything?" Jason asked some minutes later when Kim had calmed down enough for determination to set in.

"Not yet. I'm still trying to tune in to the frequency on Tommy's Morpher." The alarms chose that moment to go off, causing the Rangers to close their eyes in frustration.

"Look, the Viewing Globe!" Kim called. The Rangers opened their eyes and turned in its direction, shocked at what they saw.

"The Dragonzord."

"Attacking Angel Grove."

"That means that Rita has control of Tommy again." Muttered Zack.

"No." Kim shook her head. "He's still good. I can feel it."

"Feel it?" Jason asked.

"The bond, of course!" Billy cried. His words had the others remembering back to all those months ago when Tommy had first been freed from Rita's spell. "Kim, can you still get a read on Tommy? On more than his feelings. Possibly his location?" Kim closed her eyes and concentrated on the bond for a moment before nodding.

"I think so. It's a little hazy cause Tommy's really distracted, but I should be able to."

"Great!" Said Jason. "Kim will stay here and try to get Tommy's location while we deal with the Dragonzord."

"BE CAREFUL RANGERS. MY SENSORS INDICATE THAT THIS IS NOT THE REAL DRAGONZORD, BUT AN IMPOSTER. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS CAPABLE OF."

"We'll be careful, Zordon." Trini assured him. The plan set, the Rangers morphed into action, leaving Kim to find Tommy. Taking a seat against the control panel, Kim closed her eyes and concentrated on Tommy. Although hazy, their bond was as strong as ever and it didn't take long for Kim consciousness to reach Tommy's. The first thing she noticed was that he was in the middle of fighting Goldar. Pulling back slightly so as not to take him by surprise and cause him to make a mistake that could cost him his life, Kim waited for the opportune moment. It came some minutes later and Kim did not hesitate in revealing her presence.

"_Tommy!"_

"_Kim?" _He asked. With Goldar momentarily out of commission Tommy took the time to concentrate on Kim and was relieved to feel that she was safe inside the Command Centre.

"_I'm here Tommy. We're gonna get you out of there."_

"_How? I can't morph or teleport."_

"_I don't know..." _Kim reluctantly admitted. _"The others are battling one of Rita's monsters that's impersonating the Dragonzord. Once its defeated, they'll come get you…somehow."_

"_I'll be alright, Kim."_ He said, feeling her panic.

"_Too bad you can't use Rita's powers anymore. They used to be able to get you in or out of anywhere." _

"_That's it!"_ Tommy exclaimed, the solution to his current problem clicking at her words.

"_What's it?"_

"_I should use Rita's powers."_

"_But you can't. You don't have them anymore."_

"_No, but Goldar does. He got me in here, he can get me out."_

"_But how?"_

"_I'll think of something." _He assured her. _"Look, he's getting up. I'll be there soon, I promise."_ Though she didn't want him to go, Kim closed the connection, trusting Tommy to find a way out. Her patience was rewarded minutes later when the Viewing Globe lit up to reveal a morphed Green Ranger standing atop a building, calling on the real Dragonzord.

"Yes!" Kim cried, once again bursting into tears, though this time for the right reasons. Her joy was somewhat short lived as it took longer than normal for the Dragonzord to arrive. However, once it did arrive the battle was short and Rita's monster retreated. Once it was gone, the Rangers teleported back to the Command Centre, Tommy running to Kim and holding her close the moment he rematerialized.

"Zordon," Tommy began once both he and Kim was reassured themselves that they were both safe. "Rita made a Green Candle and it's draining my powers."

"Is that even possible?" Zack asked.

"I'M AFRAID IT IS POSSIBLE, RANGERS."

"You found out something about the Green Candle?" Tommy asked.

"YES. RITA HAS A SPECIAL FORM OF WAX FROM THE GAMMA-TRI SYSTEM. ONCE TOUCHED, IT RETAINS A PERSONS ENERGY SIGNATURE."

"But I never touched anything."

"YOU DID WHEN YOU WORKED FOR RITA."

"And she's been saving the wax all this time?" Kim groaned.

"YES. AND NOW SHE HAS MADE A CANDLE FROM THE WAX AND CAST A SPELL OVER IT, CONNECTING THE GREEN RANGER POWERS WITH ITS FLAME."

"So Rita wasn't bluffing. Once the Green Candle burns out, the Green Ranger's history." Tommy muttered. "How do we stop this?"

"SOMEONE MUST JOURNEY INTO RITA'S DIMENSION AND DESTROY THE GREEN CANDLE."

"So how do I get there?" Tommy asked.

"YOU DON'T. YOUR PRESENCE WILL ONLY ACCELLERATE RITA'S SPELL."

"I'll go." Jason said.

"No way. There's no way I'm risking anyone else's life because of me."

"Look Tommy, we have to destroy that candle, and you can't do it."

"I'll destroy it fast, the spell won't have accelerated enough by the time I'm done."

"Tommy, think of Kim, and your unborn child." Jason said, leaning close. "You can't risk your life right now."

"And you can?"

"Right now I'm more expendable than you. I'm going." Jason insisted, using his best Red Ranger voice. Tommy didn't like it but he conceded to Jason's wishes. He didn't really have a choice. Billy and Alpha worked on a device to send Jason into Rita's dark dimension but were interrupted when the alarms blared, signalling the return of Rita's monster.

"Well at least I'll get to destroy something." Tommy muttered.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Kim watched as the battle progressed, her anxiety increasing as time wore on. Tommy called on the Dragonzord five times before it appeared and during the battle, his powers began to fade. The more he fought, the more his powers failed him, until finally he de-morphed. Kim rushed to the control panel and teleported Tommy in immediately when he de-morphed, leaving the others to defeat the giant monster.

"Tommy!" She cried, rushing to his side as fast as her eight-month belly would allow. "Tommy, are you alright?" He nodded though he struggled to stand.

"Zordon, what's going on?" he asked. "I get why my powers are failing, but why am I so weak?"

"I AM UNSURE, TOMMY. MY ONLY CONCLUSION AT THIS POINT IS THAT RITA MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO YOUR POWER COIN WHILE IT WAS IN HER POSSESSION. IF YOU GIVE IT TO ALPHA, WE CAN RUN SOME TESTS TO DETERMINE THE TRUTH." Tommy nodded and pulled his Power Coin out of his Morpher and gave it to the robot. During that time, the others teleported in and expressed their concern for Tommy; they too had noticed that it was not just his powers that were failing. Hearing that Alpha was running tests, Billy ran over to help him, hoping to determine the cause as fast as possible.

"We're just lucky they held out as long as they did." Said Trini. "If they had failed before the Dragonzord had caused some damage, I don't know if we would have won." The others quickly agreed and turned to pester Billy and Alpha, anxious to know the answer. They didn't have long to wait, though the answer didn't come from Billy and Alpha. The Viewing Globe lit up to reveal Rita standing surrounded by her minions on the Moon Palace.

"Hello Rangers." She cackled evilly. "As you know your precious Green Ranger is losing his powers. When the wax burns out, the Green Ranger's powers will be mine! A haha haha!"

"We won't let you get away with this, Rita!" exclaimed Jason, stepping forward in front of his team.

"You can do nothing to stop me, Red Ranger." Rita laughed and then turned to Kimberly. "Kimmie, you now have a choice. If you want to save your precious Tommy, you will give yourself up."

"No way, Rita!" Cried Tommy, pushing Kim behind him. "My powers are not worth Kim, or our child!"

"But I haven't even gotten to the best part yet. It's not just your powers that are in jeopardy, but your life as well! If the Green Candle burns out, the Green Ranger powers will belong to me as will your life. You have till tomorrow, Kimmie." With another evil cackle, the Viewing Globe went black.

"Is she serious?" demanded Kim, whirling around to face Billy and Alpha. "Is Tommy's life really in danger?" Billy looked uneasy but decided against lying to her, so he nodded. Kim burst into tears and fell, her legs giving out on her. Tommy caught her and gently lowered them both to the ground, pulling her into his arms.

"It's ok, Kim, it's ok. We'll think of something. But you have to think of our baby. No matter what happens to me, you have to take care of our child."

"No, Tommy, no I can't…I can't do this without you, I can't, I can't." she sobbed and he pulled her tighter.

"Is there anything we can do?" he asked Billy, his concern evidently not for himself.

"I'm not sure." He answered truthfully. "Rita is right that she did something to your Power Coin. She tied your life force to it. For the rest of us, our powers bonded to us, but we can live without them, and they without us. You can't. If Rita gains control of the Green Ranger powers, she'll hold your life in her hands as well."

"So there's nothing we can do?"

"Possibly. If we can find another power source, stronger then that of the Dragonzord Power Coin, we might be able bond you to the stronger power source, severing your connection to the Dragonzord Power Coin and overriding the function that ties your life force to your powers. We can do nothing for the Green Ranger powers, but if you are no longer bound to the Dragonzord Power Coin, your life will remain your own. The problem will be finding a power source strong enough to sever the old connection."

"But where can we find such a power source?" asked Trini.

"WE CREATE ONE." Answered Zordon. The Rangers turned their attention to their mentor, hoping that he was right. "ALPHA AND I CREATED THE POWER COINS MANY MILLENIA AGO. WE CAN CREATE ANOTHER ONE AND INFUSE IT WITH EVEN MORE POWER FROM THE MORPHING GRID."

"Like creating another Ranger?" asked Zack. "A super powered Ranger?"

"YES ZACHERY. IT WILL, HOWEVER, TAKE TIME, LONGER THEN THE TIME RITA HAS GIVEN US."

"So what do we do?" asked Jason.

"AS PLANNED, YOU MUST ENTER THE DARK DIMENSION AND DESTROY THE GREEN CANDLE. IT WILL NOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEM, AS RITA WILL BE ABLE TO CREATE ANOTHER, BUT IT WILL GIVE US THE TIME NEEDED." The rangers nodded, happy, at least, to have a direction to follow. Kim had calmed down and stood ready to help in any way she could. Their focus, however, was diverted from the task at hand by Tommy's groan of pain as he doubled over, clutching his mid-section.

"Tommy!" Kim cried, kneeling beside him. "What's happening?"

"Rita is beginning to take control of his life force." Billy explained. "The more she takes control, and the more Tommy fights her, the weaker he gets."

"WE MUST ACT QUICKLY, RANGERS. TOMMY DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME. THE FURTHER THE CANDLE BURNS, THE MORE OF TOMMY'S LIFE FORCE WILL BELONG TO RITA. IF THE CANDLE BURNS FAR ENOUGH, EVEN ITS DESTRUCTION MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO SAVE TOMMY."

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**A/N - The beginning of the end of the Green Ranger. SPOILERS! (in case it wasn't obvious enough): White Light is next. As already stated, some things will happen out of order. White Light should be out this weekend if all goes well.**

**Credit for Jason's 'baby fever' goes to Opalbrat who asked if I intended to have any of the other Rangers feel the baby move and made me realize I hadn't actually thought of that, though I should have.**

**Review please!**


	9. White Light

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 9 – White Light**

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"WE MUST ACT QUICKLY, RANGERS. TOMMY DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME. THE FURTHER THE CANDLE BURNS, THE MORE OF TOMMY'S LIFE FORCE WILL BELONG TO RITA. IF THE CANDLE BURNS FAR ENOUGH, EVEN ITS DESTRUCTION MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO SAVE TOMMY." Zordon said much to the Rangers horror. "I AM SENDING ALL OF YOU INTO THE DARK DIMENSION WHILE ALPHA, TOMMY, KIMBERLY AND I BEGIN WORK ON THE NEW POWER COIN IMMEDIATELY."

"The interdimensional teleportation device is ready." Billy said. "We can leave whenever we're ready."

"We leave now." Jason said. "Come on guys, back to action!" The four active Rangers teleported out and the others got to work. It was slow going right from the start, and frustrating as hell. It had taken years to create the Power Coins and Morphers, but they had a day at best.

"Should I set up the inter-morphing sequencer before I regulate the energy converter, Zordon?" Alpha asked.

"YES ALPHA. MEANWHILE I'LL TEST THE BASE CAPACITANCE PROGRAM." Kim watched from a far as The Power surrounded Tommy and tests were run. Given that they already had a Ranger this time around they were able to bond the powers directly to Tommy during the creation process adding Tommy's own power to the Power Coin and making it that much more powerful. The problem was that as they used more of Tommy's power, less of it was being used to sustain his draining life force causing him to weaken faster. They had to stop numerous times and allow Tommy time to recover before they could start up again.

"There. Sequencer is online and working properly. I'll start on the converter now."

"BE CAREFUL ALPHA. A SMALL MISTAKE IN THE ENERGY FLOW COULD SPELL DISASTER."

"Right Zordon. Starting now." Half way through the test, and just short of two hours after the Rangers had left, Tommy doubled over causing Kim to drop her head in her hands. This was the eighth time in two hours Tommy had collapsed and every time it happened Kim got more and more worried.

"STOP THE ENERGY FLOW ALPHA." Zordon commanded urgently. Pressing a few buttons, the flow stopped and the half created suit encasing Tommy disappeared, leaving him in his street clothes.

"Are you ok?" Kim asked, coming to his side as she had the seven previous times.

"Yeah. I'm more then fine." He said smiling up at her. "I can't feel my life force being drained anymore." Kim gasped in shock, daring to hope that their friends had been successful in their endeavour. Sure enough, the Rangers teleported in moments later.

"The Green Candle is destroyed, Zordon." Jason confirmed.

"THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS, RANGERS. WE MAY NOW PROCEED WITH THE POWER TRANSFER, OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY." Billy rushed over to Alpha and was quickly caught up to speed on their progress. Kim was relieved Billy was here. She could follow directions Zordon or Alpha gave her, but she wasn't any help in actually figuring out what needed to be done or how to do it; she wasn't Billy. The Rangers all pitched in wanting to be as quick as possible and not give Rita another chance at draining Tommy's life force. However Rita was none too happy that her Green Candle had been destroyed and decided to take it out on Angel Grove.

"Just when we finish one battle." muttered Zack as he watched a giant monster attack the city on the Viewing Globe.

"Goldar must have escaped and informed her of the Candle's destruction." Trini said.

"Billy, stay here and help. The three of us can man the Megazord." Jason ordered. Billy nodded and returned his attention to the schematics he was analyzing.

"Be careful guys." Kim said. "Rita will be really pissed her Candle's gone." The Rangers nodded as they yet again morphed back into action. Kim alternated her attention between the battle on the Viewing Globe and the progress with Tommy. The Rangers battle with Rita's monster was relatively short, the Rangers determination to save Tommy winning out over Rita's anger at losing the Green Candle. Returning to the Command Centre, the three of them launched themselves into helping out, doing whatever they were told to. As day progressed into night, the Rangers called home to tell their parents they'd be sleeping at Billy's house, whose dad was away so wouldn't miss them. A few hours later Kim could barely keep her eyes open. Tommy tried to insist she go sleep in the med bay but she wouldn't leave him. Deciding on a compromise, Trini went and gathered blankets and pillows and made a makeshift bed on the floor. Kim tried to protest saying she couldn't sleep until Tommy was safe, but the others ganged up on her and she gave in, going to lie down, though she said she wouldn't be able to actually sleep. The Rangers were happy enough with this agreement as they knew that once lying down it wouldn't be long before Kim fell asleep, willing or not. Sure enough, minutes later Kim was out cold, but the others persisted, knowing they had to finish before Rita created a new Green Candle. They stayed up all night, Kim drifting in and out, and after nearly a full twenty-four hours, they completed their task. Zordon told Tommy to take the new Power Coin into his hands and will his power to bond with it. Tommy closed his eyes and concentrated, and after a few moments, a white glow surrounded him before entering his body. Billy turned back to the console and checked the Dragonzord Power coin.

"It worked." He said, a smile forming on his face. "There is no life force attached to the Dragonzord Power Coin."

"Yes!" cries went up and hugs were given all around, everyone happy to have averted another crisis.

"EXCELLENT. TOMMY, YOUR NEW POWER COIN HAS BEEN CREATED BY THE LIGHT OF GOODNESS AND CAN NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY BY THE FORCES OF EVIL."

"The new Ranger will control the White Tigerzord, a Zord of strength and fierceness. He will carry an enchanted white sabre known as Saba. Saba will assist the White Ranger in battle as well as control the new Zord." Explained Alpha.

"NOW, PLACE YOUR NEW POWER COIN IN YOUR MORPHER AND SUMMON FORTH YOUR NEW POWERS." Tommy nodded and pulled out his Morpher, inserting the Power Coin.

"It's Morphin Time! Tigerzord!" in a flash of white, Tommy stood in his new Ranger uniform, similar to his old one, though there was a larger shield and no diamonds on the under suit and accented in black and gold. Tommy removed his helmet beaming, something reciprocated by the others Rangers who were quite happy with this new Ranger. "This is awesome!"

"Most indubitably."

"Rita can't touch you now, we're all happy about that."

"Especially Kimberly."

"Speaking of Kimberly." Said Tommy, noticing his girlfriend was curled up in her makeshift bed on the floor sound asleep. The others turned around and smiled at the sight.

"She must have fallen asleep just before we were finished." Said Trini.

"She's doing that a lot lately."

"Hey, she's eight months pregnant! She's allowed to sleep when she wants." defended Tommy. "Though we should get her home, her parents will be getting worried." He went over to her, placing his helmet on the ground and pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, Beautiful, it's time to wake up." Kim's eyes fluttered open and her face broke out into a wide smile seeing him in a white suit.

"I don't believe it. I must be dreaming. We did it? You're safe?"

"Yeah. The Green Ranger is no more, but the White Ranger lives."

"Morphenomenal." She pulled him into a hug and breathed easy for the first time in twenty-four hours.

"Man, this is awesome." Said Zack when he had determined the two lovebirds had held each other long enough. "Simply awesome."

"It's fantastic!" Kim said as Tommy helped her stand up.

"Aye yai yai! All this human emotion." Alpha said causing the Rangers to laugh.

"EXTEND YOUR HAND, WHITE RANGER, AND ACCEPT ALL THAT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO YOU." Tommy did as instructed and felt as Saba materialized in his hand. The Rangers had about two minutes to bask in the happiness of defeating Rita's latest scheme before the alarms sounded. This time instead of just sending a monster, Rita herself appeared standing atop of building, holding a new Green Candle.

"I think it's time we showed Rita she can't touch you now." Said Jason. The others quickly agreed.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

This time when her friends went off to battle, Kim wasn't worried. With Tommy's new powers, she felt that Rita and her monster didn't stand a chance; they wouldn't know what hit them.

"We need Dinozord power now!"

"Activate the Tigerzord." Saba instructed.

"Tigerzord, power up!" From its hiding place in the hills, the Tigerzord appeared ready for action. "Alright! White Tigerzord, Tiger mode battle ready now!" The Tigerzord's speed allowed it to be the first to reach Rita's monster. Tommy engaged it in battle, giving the other Rangers time to form the Megazord. When they joined the battle, Tommy took the opportunity to change modes.

"Tigerzord, convert to warrior mode!" Like the Dragonzord, the Tigerzord had a warrior mode that when combined with the other Rangers' Zords would become the Mega Tigerzord. With one hit of this new Megazord configuration, Rita's monster met its end.

"This is not the end, Power Rangers!" Rita vowed as she took off back to her moon palace. The Rangers sent their Zords back to their resting places. And headed back to the Command Centre. Kim immediately attached herself to Tommy and he knew instantly that although she knew he was safe, her feelings were still all over the place and she needed the comfort of having him near. He wrapped an arm around her, silently letting her know he wasn't going anywhere.

"So, now that we've created a new Power Ranger, what do we do now?" Zack asked.

"Speaking of new powers," said Tommy as he went over to the control panel and picked up his old Power Coin. "Guess I won't be needing this anymore." His face fell when he noticed something was distinctly off about the Coin. "Zordon, why can't I feel any power in the Coin?"

"BECAUSE RITA'S SECOND CANDLE HAS BURNED OUT."

"But why would she bother with the Candle now that Tommy has new powers?" Trini asked.

"TO DEPRIVE US OF AN ALTERNATE POWER SOURCE. WHEN THE CANDLE BURNED OUT, THE POWERS TRANSFERRED INTO RITA'S POSSESSION."

"So she can use them?" Tommy asked, not liking what he was hearing. "She could create another Green Ranger?"

"NO TOMMY. THE POWERS BONDED TO YOU AND ONLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO USE THEM. HAVING THE GREEN RANGER POWERS IN HER POSSESSION MEANS NOTHING WITHOUT YOU. BUT WHILE SHE CANNOT USE THE POWERS WITHOUT YOU, YOU CANNOT USE THE POWERS WHILE THEY ARE IN HER POSSESSION."

"So essentially she just took the Green Ranger powers out of the equation." Concluded Billy.

"THAT IS CORRECT." The Rangers nodded. While not happy Rita possessed Ranger powers, they were at least thankful she couldn't use them.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved." Tommy said finally.

"I hear that." Said Zack.

"Youth Centre?" asked Jason. The others nodded and, waving goodbye to Zordon and Alpha they teleported out. Minutes later they were seated at their favourite table as Tommy went to prepare their food. It was a win-win; the Rangers got their food faster having Tommy prepare it, and Ernie had one less order to worry about. Once they had their food, the Rangers chowed down, none of them having eaten in 24 hours, including Kimberly; a fact Tommy was very upset about and rectified by practically standing over her as she ate.

"What shall we do with the rest of our day?" Jason asked when they had all finished. "I think we deserve a little celebration."

"And Rita won't be interrupting us." Trini added. "I think it'll be awhile before we hear from her again." The gang smiled at that, happy to have Rita on the run at last.

"Well…" Tommy started. "I think…and I can't believe I'm going to say this…I think we should go shopping." He looked down at Kim whose eyes brightened. Her frequent shopping trips had come to a halt when she found out she was pregnant; every penny was being saved for the baby. So the fact that Tommy was suggesting shopping when she knew he didn't need anything was definitely a treat. While Kim smiled and turned to Trini excitedly, the guys looked at Tommy as if he'd grown an extra head.

"Are you nuts?" Jason finally asked. "I say we should celebrate the fact that you're alive and you suggest _shopping_?!"

"Hey, hey, give the man a break." Zack jumped in, a teasing smile on his face. "We all know he's doing it for Kim, it's not his fault he's whipped." Billy chuckled, silently agreeing with his friend.

"And just for that, Zachary, you're on bag duty." Kim shot at Zack, coming to Tommy's defense. This time the guys' laughter was full blown as Zack paled. Bag duty was their worst nightmare. It consisted of following Kim around to every store in the mall, waiting while she tried on everything in the store, and then carrying every bag as they followed her on her second lap around.

"Kim, lovely, kind, caring Kimberly." Zack said, pleading his case. "You wouldn't do that to me would you?"

"Don't worry, Zack, it'll be ok." Trini said, patting him on the back in mock sympathy.

"God, you guys make it sound like I'm asking you to go on a date with Goldar." Kim laughed. The guys made various sounds of disgust as that image was put in their heads. "It's just a few bags. You're big, strong Rangers. You can handle a few shopping bags."  
"I think we'll need the Megazord to carry all of your purchases." Muttered Jason.

"Thanks, Jase, for offering to join Zack." Kim said, munching on a left over fry.

"See Zack? I told you not to worry." Trini said smirking at Jason who groaned and murmured that he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Little late for that." Trini said, patting him on the shoulder in much the same way she had Zack.

"Tommy," Billy asked. "Why do you want to go shopping anyways?" Tommy was about to answer but Kim beat him to it.

"I've seen his wardrobe. There's a serious shortage of white in it."

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**A/N - Here's White Light as promised. Little shorter then usual, but I don't think you'll complain with two updates in two days. ;)**

**The moment between Tommy and Kimberly in White Light when he wakes her after she faints is one of my favourites in Power Ranger history, so I hope I did it justice given she knew who it was so she wasn't gonna faint.**  
**  
Review please!**


	10. A Little Hart

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 10 – A Little Hart**

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Rita was none to pleased to discover the Rangers had found a way around her Green Candle. However, there was little she could do about it, it seemed, except continue her quest to concur Earth. And so the last month of summer was spent like many a month before it, near daily monster battles, but nothing too challenging. The Rangers were glad for this reprieve as Kimberly was nearing full term and they wanted no trouble when she was that close. Kimberly herself couldn't wait for the baby to arrive. The last month had been a nightmare for Kim. She was tiny, weighing in at a whopping 108lbs, before the pregnancy, and reaching the great height of 5'0". So, a large belly adding about thirty pounds was fairly hard on her body, largely her back that seemed to ache all the time now. Her mother assured her this was normal, and Tommy's mom assured her she was healthy and strong and the back pain would go away. The heat of summer didn't help either.

Tommy, for his part, was doing all he could to make things easier for Kim. Since it was summer, having different classes did not separate them and so Tommy followed Kim wherever she wanted to go; making sure she had everything she could need or want. He ensured a seat was always available to her no matter where they were (he even went so far as to carry a folding chair with him once) and gave her foot massages and back rubs when they were alone, or with their friends. Tommy basically lived at the DeLampert and Hart houses, though Kim also had some stuff at Tommy's. By the time Kim reached full term, the two of them had divided their things between all three houses, spending every night together. Their parents didn't mind, so long as they switched it up every couple days. They understood that the two were having a baby and were also very close; they were a family and needed to be together. However they also understood that they were teenagers. Sex would be a part of their lives and while no more harm could be done while Kim was still pregnant, there was going to be a long talk shortly after the baby was born about safe sex.

**-T/K-**

In the middle of August, Kim, Tommy and the gang were hanging at the Youth Centre. Jason was helping Billy with his martial arts while Zack was teaching a dance class. Trini was sitting with Kim, watching their friends while Tommy was behind the counter working.

"So, you're over nine months." Trini commented, placing a hand on Kim's round, firm belly and smiling when she felt the baby kick.

"I know!" whined Kim. "They told me I could go into labour anytime from eight months on and now I'm a week and a half overdue."

"Well maybe he just likes it in there, all cozy and warm."

"Yeah, I guess."

"I can't believe you and Tommy didn't want to know the sex of the baby. I'd be going crazy wondering if it's a girl or boy."

"We wanted to be surprised. Though we have been calling him a him since practically the beginning."

"You want a boy?"

"I don't really care, as long as he or she is healthy. I know that's been said a lot, but when you're expecting your own, you understand why parents say it." She softly smiled down at her belly as she gently rubbed it. Trini smiled and agreed with Kim, hoping one day that she'd understand too. Tommy came over just then with refills on their smoothies, though Kim knew he really just wanted to check on her. Today was a busy day at the Youth Centre, so Tommy was actually working fairly hard. Kim smiled her confirmation when he stopped just long enough to send her the 'everything ok?' look. With a new smoothie rejuvenating her attention giving capacity, Kim turned her attention back to her friends on the mats. Jason and Billy were really going at it now, Billy having gotten a lot better in the last year and making it so Jason actually had to concentrate on their match. Zack's dance class was obviously wrapping up as everyone was laughing and dancing in one jumbled mess, rather than learning something. Trini and Kim were laughing along with them, some of the students dance moves being more comical then anything else, when Kim felt a quick sharp stab of pain, which she assumed was the baby kicking. Her hand came to her stomach and she began rubbing small circles over it, trying to sooth the child. When that didn't work, she stood up telling Trini she was going for a short walk.

"I'll come with you." Trini said.

"No, no I'll be fine. I'll just go around the bike racks out front and come right back in."

"Alright, if you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming to find you." Kim rolled her eyes but nodded in acceptance. She headed for the door and waddled her way outside. She had just made it to the bike racks and was preparing to go around them when another sharp stab of pain ripped through her lower abdomen. This time it was stronger and there was now no doubt in her mind that this was not the baby kicking. The pain didn't immediately go away, but got stronger and Kim reached out, grabbing the nearest thing to stop her from falling. That thing happened to be Bulk who, along with Skull, was heading into the Youth Centre.

"Hey watch it!" said Bulk, though his fierce expression vanished seeing it was Kimberly grabbing onto him. "Hey, what are you doing?" he asked when her grip tightened and her face broke out into an expression of pain. He and Skull began panicking. Skull came over and helped support Kim as Bulk grabbed her hand.

"Ok…uh what do we do? Oh my God, what do we do?"

"Help me inside." Growled Kim when the pain subsided. The two nodded and each grasped one of her arms, thankful they were being given instructions. Kim stopped, however, when she felt something wet escape her. She looked down, drawing Bulk and Skull's attention, and saw that her pants were wet and excess water was leaking onto the ground.

"Now!" snapped Kim. Bulk and Skull sprang into action and basically carried her into the Youth Centre.

"Help! Help!" yelled Skull as they entered the main room.

"Oh would you shut up?!" cried Kim. The entire Youth Centre turned their attention to the three who had just walked in. Tommy dropped the tray he was carrying, which was thankfully empty, and rushed over. Barely a second later, Jason arrived with a chair, which Bulk and Skull sat Kim in, jumping away from her the moment they could.

"Kim what is it?" asked Tommy as Trini and the others ran up as well.

"My water broke." She said. Tommy's eyes widened.

"It's time? You're in labour?" he breathed.

"Yes, Tommy, that's usually what 'my water broke' means." After a few moments in which Tommy knelt there like a deer in headlights, he jumped up, having come to.

"Ok, I'll grab your bag!" he said, dashing behind the bar where he kept Kim's hospital bag which he had been carrying around with him for the last month. "Ernie I have to go!" he said to his boss who was behind the counter watching the show.

"I can see that; go already!"

"Jase, help me get her out to the car!" Jason nodded, and when Tommy sprinted back the two helped her to her feet and led her outside. The ride to the hospital took a record five minutes in which Kim had yet to have another contraction. Jason was in the back seat with her, trying to be helpful though he only succeeded in annoying her. Zack was following them in his car with Billy and Trini who were calling the parents. Vivian met them at the Atrium entrance and sat Kim in a wheelchair. Zack and Billy offered to park the cars in the underground lot while the others took Kim up to the maternity ward. Fifteen minutes, and one contraction, later, Kim was signed in, given a room, and told it was going to be a long wait. Once Trini and Jason saw her settled, they decided to leave her and Tommy alone for a bit, saying they were going to go find Zack and Billy.

"Hey, it's time. We're finally gonna meet our baby." Tommy said softly, pulling up a chair next to Kim's bed and grasping her hand.

"Yeah. I'm so excited. I just wish it wouldn't be a long wait." She grumbled, not liking the idea of being in labour for hours and hours.

"Hey, remember what OB/GYN said, it's not uncommon for first pregnancies to go overdue, and the birth take awhile. Your body's adjusting in a way it hasn't before."

"I know. It's just. We're about to become parents, Tommy." She said, and he could hear the fear in her voice. "Can we really do this? I know we're prepared and we talked about it, but we're still only sixteen and there's Rita, and her minions to deal with. Our baby will be a target; hell he's already a target! How can we bring a child into this world when we're risking our lives everyday, never knowing if today will be the day we lose and Rita destroys us."

"Hey, hey, calm down." He said soothingly, seeing tears form in her eyes. "Yea, we risk our lives but Rita will never win. No, Kimberly, listen to me." He said, taking her face between his hands, when she made to interrupt him. "I will _never_ let Rita win. We're not going to die. Not anytime soon at least. And you think our child will be born with a target painted on his head? Well if that's what Rita sees, she's going to be destroyed that much faster, because if she comes anywhere near our baby, she's going to regret it." Kim smiled at his forcefulness, and felt some of her fears ebb away. Though both of them knew that they would never truly disappear. The tender moment was interrupted by another contraction and Tommy felt his hand be crushed as Kim held it tighter, waiting for it to end.

"How far apart?" asked Kim when it finally finished. Tommy checked his watch.

"Still fifteen minutes." Kim groaned and laid back against the pillows. The next few hours went by slowly for everyone, not just Kim. Her parents had arrived and had been in to see her, as well as her friends and Tommy's parents. The group decided to leave Tommy and Kim alone for the most part, Vivian going in to check up on Kim occasionally. Finally, in the morning of August 18th, 1994, after nearly fourteen hours of labour, the nurse declared Kim fully dilated and called the doctor. Remembering some of the birthing class they had taken, Tommy climbed onto the bed behind Kim to give her support as she pushed.

"Alright Kimberly, on the next contraction I want you to push ok?" said the doctor. Kim nodded and readied herself, knowing her contractions were less than a minute apart. When the next one hit, she cried out, pushing down with all her might, and crushing Tommy's fingers in the process.

"That's it, the head is crowning. One more push should do it." The doctor said a few minutes later after Kim had pushed three times already. Finally when the next contraction hit, Kim pushed hard and felt the head slip out, the rest coming a lot easier. A loud cry went up in the room as the baby drew breath for the first time. Kim's face cleared, hearing her baby cry and she and Tommy both looked to the doctor.

"It's a healthy baby girl." She said. Tommy and Kim broke out into wide smiles and Kim slumped against Tommy.  
"And we've been calling her 'him' all this time." She muttered. Tommy chuckled and kissed her on the head, murmuring how awesome she was. The doctor asked Tommy to come cut the umbilical cord and the nurses came forward to help Kim with the after birth. Once the cord was cut, the baby was cleaned and weighed coming in at a healthy 7lbs and 6oz. The doctor dressed the baby and wrapped her up in a blanket, giving her a little pink hat as well. She then handed the child over to Tommy who was instantly mesmerized by the little bundle in his arms. He slowly walked over to Kim and ever so gently passed the little girl to her mother. Both Kim and Tommy had tears streaming down their faces, though they were absolutely tears of joy. The doctor and the nurses left the two new parents alone with their baby, giving them some time.

"What are we gonna name her?" breathed Kim. "We never really did come up with any names."

"How about Kira? After your grandmother." Suggested Tommy. Kim smiled, liking the name.

"What about Heart for a middle name." added Kim. "I remember you telling me you were adopted from an Aboriginal family named Trueheart."

"I like it. She's most definitely a heart, on three different levels. Your family, my bio family, and she is our heart." Though cheesy, Kim couldn't agree more. Shortly after, one of the nurses returned with a birth certificate form, already filled out and signed by the doctor except for the child's name.

"Kira Hart Oliver." Tommy said, giving the spelling he and Kim had agreed on. The nurse left to send out the form and Tommy followed her out the door, but instead went to the waiting room. Everyone jumped up when they saw him, breaking out into smiles when they saw the goofy look on his face.

"I have a daughter." He said. "7lbs and 6oz." Cheers went up, though they were subdued as they were in the hospital. Caroline and Vivian both gave Tommy a hug before they went back to see Kim and the baby. Mark, Andrew and Pierre weren't far behind them and Jason said the gang would stay back until they were done. When Tommy walked back in the room it was to see his mother holding her granddaughter and cooing at the sleeping baby. Kira was passed between the rest of the grandparents before she was handed back to Kim and the adults left them alone, saying they'd send their friends in. Jason was the first to poke his head in the door, quickly followed by Trini then Zack and Billy. Trini made a beeline for Kim and the baby, the former of which obediently handed the baby over.

"What did you name her?" Billy asked, as he and the other boys crowded around Trini, though none of them were brave enough to hold the baby just yet.

"Kira Hart Oliver." Said Kim. Their friends quickly approved, their attention never leaving the baby. Finally, Jason separated himself from the group and went over to Kim, giving her a big hug.

"How you doing, Ptera?" he asked.

"I'm good. The doctor said it was a fairly easy birth, and Kira's completely healthy. We should be able to go home tomorrow." Jason nodded, happy with that answer.

"We do have something to ask of you though, Rex."

"And you Trini." Added Tommy. The three who still had their heads down fussing over the baby looked up and gave their friends their attention.

"We want you two to be Kira's godparents." Jason and Trini were speechless and it was an amused Zack who answered for them.

"I think you can take that as a yes." He said. Trini and Jason merely nodded. Zack and Billy felt no resentment at not being asked to be godfather. They knew Jason and Kim were practically twins and Trini was like her sister. Tommy had never really had friends before, having moved around a lot, and certainly didn't have any friends closer to him then those already in the room, and he had become especially close to Jason who he ended up confiding in about his fears about being a Ranger, a father, and his time as the Evil Green Ranger shortly after he discovered Kim was pregnant. Billy and Zack knew that they were one hundred percent a part of the group and would still be uncles to little Kira.

"Well, I guess if I'm going to be her godfather, I better learn how to hold her." Trini, who was silently crying, walked over to Jason who was sitting on the end of Kim's bed, and handed him his goddaughter.

"Yeah, good to learn now. You're gonna need to know to change all those dirty diapers." Joked Tommy.

"Hey! No one said anything about dirty diapers." Complained Jason. The group laughed, highly amused by the banter between Jason and Tommy. The friends visited for a bit, Billy and Zack even working up the courage to hold Kira, until the nurse came back in saying it was time for the baby's first feeding. The four took that as their cue to leave, and even Tommy backed off a bit as the nurse taught Kim how to breast-feed. Once she got the hang of it and their daughter was happily suckling away, the nurse left saying she'd return in ten minutes to see how things were going. Tommy couldn't help but look on as Kim fed their daughter. Even though Kim's chest was fully exposed, there was absolutely nothing sexual about it, and Tommy couldn't help but feel it was the most natural thing he had ever seen. The nurse eventually came back and showed them how to properly burp her, Tommy being the hands on parent for this lesson, and then set up a bassinet beside Kim's bed, saying that both mother and daughter needed sleep. Tommy sat cradling their daughter in the chair next to Kim's bed as she dozed off. Kira was sound asleep in her father's arms, completely oblivious to the looks of pure adoration being sent her way. Tommy bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Kira's forehead.

"Hey Kira. I'm your daddy. I love you so much sweetie."

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**A/N - Had to get this one out, couldn't help myself. She's finally here! And yes it's a she. Who predicted I was bluffing calling her a him all the time?**

**Review please!**


	11. The Mutiny

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 11 – The Mutiny **

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Kim and Kira were released the next day as promised. They were given an honour guard of their fellow Rangers who had come to pick them up and take them home. They figured that they wouldn't see them for awhile what with having a new born and all. It was decided that Kim and Tommy would spend their daughter's first week at Kimberly's mom and step dad's house. It was natural that Kim as a new mom would want her mom around for the first little bit and Tommy wasn't going to fight it. They'd spend the second week with his parents and the third with Kim's dad, thus beginning the weekly rotation. When they arrived at home and said goodbye to their friends, they were surprised to see all of their parents waiting for them. However, when they immediately converged on their granddaughter, it all became so very clear. Kira was the centre of attention and Kim and Tommy took the opportunity to take their things up to Kim's room and unpack. They had about ten minutes before the sound of crying had them running back downstairs. Mark was cradling Kira, gently rocking her as he tried to settle her down. At the sound of Kim and Tommy pounding down the stairs, the adults looked up and smiled.

"I think she's hungry." Said Mark, handing Kira over to her mother. "Tommy used to make those same sounds when he was a baby."

"Dad!"

"It's true. You'll soon learn to differentiate one cry from another."

"I'll go feed her." Said Kim and she headed back upstairs.

"I'll go with you." Said Tommy.

"No, Tommy, you can stay down here, please. You're not needed to feed a baby."

Tommy stopped midway up the stairs and came back down. He noticed that Kim's parents were conveniently heading into the kitchen.

"Please tell me you're not going to give me 'the talk.' _Again._" He begged.

"Not so much have an entire talk. More just a reminder." Said Mark. Tommy sighed but sat down. "Now that Kira's born, Kim can get pregnant again. While we love our granddaughter, we don't think it's a good idea to give her a sibling. At least not for quite a few years."

"I know. We know, dad. You've made sure we know all about birth control, many times now I might add. We'll be careful. I promise."

"We'd rather you didn't even have to be careful. Abstinence can be a wonderful thing Tommy." Said Vivian.

"Mom, please, just stop. I know you all would prefer we didn't have sex, and right now we're not, nor have we really thought about. And truthfully, I don't think we will anytime soon with Kira being less then two days old and everything." Tommy wasn't shying away from this conversation this time as he knew his parents, and Kim's, would just keep harassing them. And he also hoped that treating this seriously and being an adult about it, would impress them enough to back off. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen with mine and Kim's sex life. We don't have one right now, and I don't know when or if we'll have one again. Kira's our priority right now and will always be our priority. And she's a perfect reminder of what happened last time. When and if we decide to become sexually active again…we will most certainly not be careless. Like you said, we love Kira, but we have no desire to give her a sibling just yet." Vivian and Mark were impressed with Tommy's serious attitude and sincerity. They decided to leave the subject alone, believing him when he said they'd be careful when the time came. And if they were wrong, well what would come would come.

**-T/K-**

A week later, Tommy and Kim were exhausted as they had never been exhausted before. Every two hours, Kira needed to be fed. If she didn't wake them, they were woken by the alarm they set and as Kira was also woken by the alarm, they had a crying baby on their hands every two hours for the last week. They were incredibly thankful that it was still the summer and so they weren't missing any school just yet. They did, however, have to start thinking about school and what to do when it started again. Kim's mom Caroline and Jason's mom Lucy both worked from home more often then not and so they worked up a schedule so they could both be around to take care of Kira when her parents were at school. However, there was still the problem of Kira's feedings. Vivian was helping them prepare bottles of breast milk (they didn't want her on formula so early) and get Kira used to a bottle just enough so that she'd drink from one while Kim was at school, though both Kim and Tommy would be coming home for lunch. The good thing about living in Angel Grove is that it's a small town. They could walk to and from school and feed Kira all during their lunch hour and still have fifteen minutes to spare. They weren't happy about having to leave their daughter for six hours a day, but they knew they really had no choice. Flunking out of high school would only see their family suffer in the long run which wasn't an option. And so they resigned themselves to leaving Kira in the capable hands of her grandmother and auntie.

After the first week, they began to take Kira out of the house. Their first stop was the Command Centre to show off their daughter to Zordon and Alpha. They had, of course, told them about the birth and that they had a daughter, but they hadn't been in to see them. Afraid of what teleportation would do to their baby, they enlisted the help of Billy, and subsequently their friends, in using the Rad Bug as their means of transportation. They arrived safely at the Command Centre, with minimal crying from Kira.

"Hey Zordon." Said Tommy as he took hold of Kira so Kim could climb out of the car.

"IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, TOMMY, AND YOU AS WELL KIMBERLY. I TAKE IT THIS IS KIRA."

"Yea." Tommy came forward, bringing Kira closer so Zordon could get a better look at her. "We figured it was about time to bring her to meet you and Alpha." Alpha came over and stood next to Tommy, peering down at the, currently, sleeping baby.

"My research on human infants has led me to believe that Kira is a good looking human infant." Said the robot.

"Thanks Alpha." said Kim, knowing that this was indeed high praise.

" I MUST CONCUR WITH ALPHA. KIRA IS INDEED A BEAUTIFUL CHILD." The rest of the visit was filled with a lot of laughter, jokes and just having a good time all around. It had been awhile since Tommy and Kim had been able to spend this much time with their friends and they were glad for it. They also discussed Ranger business. With Kim no longer pregnant, she could now return to being the Pink Ranger. However, as Kira was still so young, Tommy begged her not to return just yet. Placing both of Kira's parents in danger of losing their lives was not something he was keen on. Kim fought back, saying it goes both ways and he could be the one to stay behind but Tommy added in the argument that Kira was still so dependent on Kim, what with her not being weaned. Kim sent him a class one glare, but didn't fight it. She didn't want to leave Kira any more then Tommy did. They agreed that they'd call her if things got bad and that she'd return in a few months when Kira was mostly weaned. After a few hours, they left the Command Centre and headed to the Youth Centre. After Zordon and Alpha, Ernie was the next person outside of their family and immediate friends who they wanted to meet Kira. Apparently, someone had squealed about their pans to visit.

"Surprise!" cried the entirety of the Youth Centre. There was a banner hanging against the wall that said 'Welcome Kira!' along with a bunch of balloons and streamers. There were nearly fifty of their classmates and regulars from the Youth Centre, standing around along with Ernie in the middle of it all. The two of them were shocked at what they were seeing. They knew they still had friends, those who wouldn't condemn or abandon them because they were teen parents, but to see all of these people, some of whom they recognised but never talked to, giving them their support was overwhelming; especially to Kim whose hormones were still running rampant. Kira whimpered at all the noise and Tommy and Kim, though still in shock, immediately turned their attention to their daughter. Kim gently rocked the baby in her carrier as Tommy shushed everyone. Once assured that their daughter wasn't going to wake, Tommy and Kim turned their attention to those around them.

"Oh my God." asked Kim. "What is this?"

"What does it look like Ptera?" asked Jason, coming up beside her with a big smile on his face.

"You did this?"

"I helped. It was a combined effort." He waved his hand nonchalantly at their friends and Ernie, all of whom were beaming. Kim and Tommy smiled back and went over to Ernie.

"So this is her?" he asked rhetorically. Kim placed Kira's carrier on the bar and nodded.

"Yeah, this is our Kira."

"She's beautiful. Just like her mother." Kim blushed and smiled her thanks. Tommy put his arm around Kim and the two of them smiled lovingly at their child.

"We got lucky. She's perfect." Said Tommy.

"I'm sure every parent says that of their newborn." Ernie laughed. "Oh, and hey Tommy, you still have a job here, whenever you want it."

"Hey thanks Ernie."

"Oh and uh, one more thing before I unleash the crowd on you. If you're ever _working late_, Tommy." He said, emphasising the 'working late.' "And now you too, I guess, Kim. Kira will always have a babysitter here, if you need it." If that wasn't a declaration of Ernie knowing they were Power Rangers, they didn't know what was. However, going with their unspoken agreement that they wouldn't actually say it out loud, Tommy answered with a meaningful look and a "Thanks Ernie" before he and Kim turned their attention to their classmates who all wanted to get a look at their baby.

**-T/K-**

The first week of school came and with it the first time Kim and Tommy were separated from Kira. It took at least an hour to pry them away from their baby, Caroline and Lucy having to literally shove them out the door. The entire day they were on edge, rushing home during lunch and staying until the last possible minute, then being the first out the door when the final bell rang. Their friends found it endearing that these two kickass Power Rangers were so enraptured by a tiny little creature. As the following couple weeks passed, things calmed down a bit and it got easier for Kim and Tommy to leave Kira; though while easier, it would be a long time before it became easy.

Near the end of September, Angel Grove was holding the 5th annual Charity Motor Marathon and as per usual the gang were right in the middle of it. Kim had elected to sit out in favour of watching in the stand with Kira, and Trini, never one to pass up an opportunity to hold her goddaughter, sat out with them. They cheered the boys on as they entered the final lap, Jason and Billy, fighting for first place, when suddenly an explosion went off up ahead, just off of the racecourse. People began screaming as a second explosion went off not far from the first.

"This isn't normal." Kim muttered to Trini who nodded her head in agreement.

"I think Rita's at it again."

"Let's go contact Zordon." However their retreat was cut off by a group of Putties, but something was distinctly off about them.

"A Z?" Kim muttered, taking Kira from Trini and holding her close. "They've never had a Z on their chest before have they?"

"Not that I can remember." Trini stood protectively in front of Kim and Kira, ready to protect them both. It was with luck that the boys arrived at that exact moment.

Having seen the explosions, they had turned back immediately needing to make sure Kira and the civilians were safe.

"Kim!" Tommy shouted, seeing her clutching their daughter to her chest as Trini tried to fend off the Putties. Eyes flashing green at the sight, Tommy wasted no time in joining in the battle, the others barely a second behind him. With the added help, the Rangers formed a circle around Kim and Kira and engaged the Putties as they came at them.

"I don't remember Putties being this tough." Zack said as he swept the legs out from under one of them.

"These aren't regular Putties." Said Billy. "Rita's made some adjustments."

"But why now?" Jason asked. "It's been a year. Why not months ago when it was apparent we could easily handle them?"

"Maybe she finally got fed up with losing?" Trini guessed. "Either way, we're in trouble." A Putty landed a hard kick to Tommy's mid-section sending him to the ground. It made to land a second hit but Tommy blocked it and landed a hit of his own, right in the centre of the Z on the Putty's chest. The result was immediate, and the Putty broke apart as they usually did. "Guys, aim for the Z!" Tommy called. With renewed hope, the Rangers fought back against the Putties, and while it was not easy to defeat them, they did succeed.

"We should get to the Command Centre." Said Jason. "Something's up." The others agreed and did a quick look around before teleporting out. After running diagnostics on what exactly teleportation did to the human body, both Alpha and Billy had deemed it safe for Kira; though the infant didn't like it one bit and made her feelings on the subject very clear each time they teleported. Kira's cries heralded their arrival at the Command Centre and had the two parents trying to soothe their child. Eventually she calmed down enough to allow the others to concentrate on the problem at hand. Tommy, who had taken hold of Kira, rocked her until she fell asleep, something that usually happened after a good cry, before taking her over to the playpen just off the main platform. During Ranger battles, everyone felt better at having Kira in the Command Centre where there was no chance of Rita getting to her, and so an area had been set up for her. Once he returned, the Rangers began questioning Zordon.

"What's Rita up to now?" Jason asked their mentor.

"UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT RITA WHO IS CAUSING TROUBLE THIS TIME, RANGERS."

"Who then?" Asked Zack, they were all confused. Who was attacking Earth if not Rita?

"THE THING I HAVE FEARED MOST HAS HAPPENED. LORD ZEDD HAS RETURNED."

"Who's Lord Zedd?" Billy asked.

"RITA AND HER MINION'S LORD AND MASTER."

"You mean there's someone worse than Rita?" Kim asked, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I'M AFRAID SO. LORD ZEDD HAS BEEN RULING OVER DARKER PLACES WITHIN ANOTHER GALAXY. EONS AGO HE LEFT RITA IN CHARGE TO CARRY OUT HIS ORDERS. SINCE SHE HAS FAILED TO DO SO-"

"He's come back to finish the job." Trini concluded.

"Will we be able to defeat him, Zordon?" Tommy asked the question on all their minds.

"I DO NOT KNOW, RANGERS. I'M AFRAID YOUR ZORDS MAY NOT BE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DEFEAT LORD ZEDD'S MAGIC."

"Lord Zedd's power is unmatched by anything we've ever seen before." Alpha chimed in. The Rangers shared a look of impending doom, knowing that if Zordon was right, and he usually was, the battle ahead of them was going to be tougher than anything they've ever faced before.

"Zordon, those new Putties we fought were really strong." Said Jason.

"YOU WERE LUCKY TO FIND THEIR WEAK SPOT SO QUICKLY. APPARENTLY THE Z ON THEIR CHEST IS THE SOURCE OF THEIR POWER."

"I'm sure Lord Zedd wasn't counting on us discovering it so soon." Said Trini.

"I bet he's not used to losing; he's bound to retaliate." Added Kim. "I wonder what he has in store for us next."

"Got a feeling it ain't Pudgy Pig." Muttered Zack. At their words the alarms blared, as if confirming their suspicions and it was with trepidation that the Rangers turned to face the View Globe.

"What is that?" Trini demanded, seeing an ugly fish monster on the screen.

"LORD ZEDD HAS CREATED A MONSTER FROM A FISH OUT OF THE RAMPOON RIVER. MY SENSORS TELL ME IT WAS A PIRANHA NOW CALLED PIRANTISHEAD."

"As in man eating?" groaned Zack.

"I'M AFRAID SO. THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN SENT TO FIND YOU IN ANGEL GROVE."

"Then let's give it what it wants." Said Jason, steeling himself for the fight to come.

"I want to come with you." Kim said, drawing the attention of her friends.

"Kim, we agreed you'd stay with Kira for a little longer." Said Tommy.

"I know, but if Lord Zedd's as powerful as Zordon says, you're gonna need my help. And…I got a bad feeling about this." Tommy stared at her for a few moments before bowing his head in agreement.

"Alright fine. Alpha, will you be ok with Kira?" he directed to their robot friend.

"Of course!" he assured them.

"Then let's morph into action." Said Jason. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

For the first time in nearly a year all six Rangers teleported out. Arriving in downtown Angel Grove, they were unprepared for Zedd's strength and Pirantishead got a good shot in barely seconds after their teleportation beams had disappeared. Then, without waiting until it was destroyed as a normal sized monster, Pirantishead immediately grew big.

"Give up Rangers, you'll never defeat Lord Zedd!" It's voice rumbling from its great height.

"That remains to be seen, fish face!" Jason retorted. "We need Dinozord power now!" The Dinozords responded to the Rangers call, but Pirantishead was prepared for them.

"I'm afraid this time you're going to be left out in the cold!" The monster blew a strong cold wind in the direction of the Zords causing them to freeze up.

"He froze the Zords!" Zack shouted unnecessarily.

"If we can't get them unfrozen, we're history!" added Jason, though it too was an unnecessary statement.

"Not all of them." Tommy retorted. "I need White Tigerzord-"

"No!" Jason interrupted. "Save the Tigerzord for when we really need him."

"I think we need him, Jase." Trini said.

"Not yet! Tyrannosaurus Dinozord power!" Jason called. Turning back in the direction of their Zords, the Rangers were pleasantly surprised to see that not all of the Zords were frozen. Pirantishead sent attack after attack at the Tyrranosauruszord eventually succeeding in the mission Zedd had giving him and turning to Tyrannosauruszord against the Rangers.

"Now can I call the Tigerzord?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

"Uh huh." Was Jason's articulate reply.

"I need White Tigerzord power now!" With all the speed it was made with, the Tigerzord jumped out of its hiding place and ran to face the Tyrannosaurus.

"Tigerzord, warrior mode!" Tommy called. The Zord obeyed the command but even the Tigerzord wasn't strong enough against Zedd's magic. A beam of energy entered the Earth and hit Pirantishead who then launched the same attack it had used on the Tyrannosauruszord at the Tigerzord, causing it too to turn against the Rangers.

"Oh no! They got the Tigerzord too!"

"What are we going to do?"

"This can't be happening. I can't believe he turned our Zords against us!" Once again Zedd sent an energy beam down to Earth, this time infusing the Tigerzord and Tyrannosauruszord directly. The two powerful zords locked their weapons on the Rangers and fired. The Rangers were barely able to dodge the attack. However, although they survived the attack, the same could not be said for Angel Grove. When the Zords missed their target, they began attacking the city.

"This isn't good. We better get back to the Command Centre. Maybe Zordon will have an answer." Jason instructed, and although it pained them to leave while the city was being made into nothing but rubble, the Rangers teleported out.

"Zordon we lost our Zords." Jason said, worry evident in his voice.

"That's it. We're history." Said Zack.

"I can't believe this is how it ends." Added Trini.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Kim asked as she and Tommy re-joined the group on the main platform after having checked on Kira.

"I'M AFRAID NOTHING WE DO COULD EVER GIVE THE ZORDS ENOUGH POWER. YOU NOW NEED STRONGER NEW ZORDS EQUIPPED WITH THE POWER OF THUNDER TO DEFEAT LORD ZEDD."

"New Zords?" Tommy asked.

"Power of thunder? What do you mean Zordon?" asked Billy.

"Follow me, Rangers." Said Alpha. He led the Rangers outside the Command Centre to where their new Zords were making their first appearance.

"JASON." Came Zordon's voice over their communicators. "YOU WILL CONTROL THE RED DRAGON THUNDERZORD. HIS POWER IS FIERCE AND TRUE. TRINI, YOUR'S SHALL BE THE GRIFFIN THUNDERZORD, SWIFT AND ACCURATE. ZACK, THE LION THUNDERZORD WILL HAVE COURAGE AND STRENGTH. BILLY YOUR UNICORN THUNDERZORD HAS MYTHOLOGICAL POWERS AND WISDOM. KIMBERLY, THE FIREBIRD THUNDERZORD SHALL BE YOURS, POWERFUL AND AGILE. WHEN JOINED TOGETHER ALL SHALL FORM THE THUNDER MEGAZORD."  
"These new Zords are amazing."

"Wow, Morphenominal."

"Lord Zedd won't know what hit him." While the other Rangers admired their new Zords, Kim realized they were one short.

"Um, what about Tommy?" she asked.

"Hey, I just got a new Zord not too long ago." He joked, though inwardly he too wondered if he would get another new one.

"TOMMY SHALL RETAIN HIS TIGERZORD. ONCE IT IS FREE, I WILL INFUSE IT WITH ENERGY DIRECTLY FROM THE MORPHING GRID. ITS POWER WILL THEN BE AS STRONG AS THE THUNDERZORDS." Kim nodded in acceptance. She didn't necessarily feel Tommy needed a new Zord, per se, but more of a power upgrade to be able to withstand Lord Zedd's monsters, which is exactly what Zordon gave him.

"When can we take control of the new Zords?" Trini asked once Tommy's Zord was sorted out.

"It's imperative that we regain control of the old Zords first." Alpha responded.

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us guys." Said Jason. The Rangers headed back into the Command Centre, the hope spawned by getting new Zords diminished with the news they couldn't used them without regaining control of the old ones first.

"I keep trying, but I can't think of anything that will bring them back!" Said Zack, after ten minutes of silent brainstorming; no one knew what to do. Tommy and Kim were huddled together in a corner with Kira in between them. They knew as Power Rangers that there may come a time where they may lose to the forces of evil, but to be faced with it so soon after their daughter's birth was tough.

"We'll come up with something." Kim said, with more conviction than she was feeling.

"Alpha, has the computer come up with a solution?" Trini asked.

"Only abstracts that I must analyze more thoroughly."

"Here, let me help you." Said Billy. A few minutes passed in which Billy and Alpha looked at all the scattered data the computer had come up with. Eventually, Billy's brain pieced together something that just might work.

"I think I have something here." He said, causing the others to turn their attention to him.

"What is it Billy?" Asked Trini as she and the others gathered around him.

"By my calculations, if we build a device that will interfere with Lord Zedd's signal, we should be able to release the Zords."

"Like re-programming them?" Jason asked for clarification.

"Exactly. I think I have all the available equipment back at my lab." The group shared a smile for the first time since Zedd appeared.

"ALPHA, BILLY, GOOD WORK. WE HAVE NOT TIME TO LOSE. LORD ZEDD AND HIS MONSTER MUST BE STOPPED."

"I'll teleport back to the lab with you, maybe I can help." Trini said, Billy nodded his thanks and the two teleported out.

"I hope this works." Kim said, holding Kira a little tighter.

"It will." Tommy reassured her, placing an arm around his girls. The next few hours were spent waiting around for word from Billy or Trini that they had succeeded. But, like always, the bad guys couldn't let them wait in peace. The alarms blared throughout the Command Centre, waking Kira and adding her cries to the noise.

"Aye yai yai! No, not again!" cried Alpha, as he turned to the control panel to see what was wrong.

"Now what?" Asked Kim, momentarily turning her attention away from the crying child in Tommy's arms.

"BY TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR ZORDS, LORD ZEDD IS CONFIDENT THAT HE HAS DEFEATED YOU. HE HAS ORDERED HIS MONSTER TO START ANOTHER ATTACK."

"Billy and Trini haven't had enough time to finish the device!" said Alpha.

"We can't wait for them, we have to morph." Jason said as he watched the destruction of Angel Grove on the Viewing Globe.

"I'm with you." Zack said, also not liking what he was seeing. "There's no telling what that fish is up to next."

"RANGERS, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN AND I COMMEND YOU FOR IT. BUT WITHOUT YOUR ZORDS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEFEAT THIS MONSTER AND MIGHT BE SERIOUSLY HURT IN THE PROCESS. ANGEL GROVE, AND THE WORLD, CANNOT AFFORD THAT."

"But Zordon, we can't just sit around and wait!" Jason countered.

"There's nothing we can do?" Zack demanded.

"PATIENCE, POWER RANGERS. BILLY AND TRINI WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN."

"Oh no, this is terrible! The monster is heading towards the rally and with Zedd's power he can take control of any mechanical object!"

"I hope Billy and Trini finish soon." Murmured Kim.

"They have to." Said Tommy. The Rangers continued to watch the Viewing Globe as the monster terrorized the rally, taking control of any and every mechanical object he came across.

"Zordon we have to do something!" said Zack, completely frustrated with the situation.

"ALPHA, CONTACT BILLY AND TRINI."

"Right away Zordon!"

"BILLY, TRINI, HAVE YOU FINISHED THE DEVICE YET?"

"Negative." Came Billy's voice over the comm. "We're still working on it."

"Yeah, hopefully we'll get it done soon." Trini added.

"Hurry, we need it!" Billy and Trini affirmed that they heard the need for speed and signed off.

"We can't wait for them." Tommy said.

"This monster could do a lot of damage before they're done." Kim added.

"Zordon, we've got to morph." Said Jason, making a decision. "Maybe we can slow down the monster's progress."

"ALRIGHT RANGERS, THE SITUATION IS URGENT."

"Be careful!" cautioned Alpha.

"Tell Billy and Trini to meet us there." Instructed Kim as she and Tommy placed a thankfully sleeping Kira in her play pen.

"Back to action!" Jason called as they teleported out. The Rangers saw nothing upon arriving at the scene where Pirantishead was previously terrorizing the city. Moving cautiously, the Rangers looked for the monster, eventually finding him, though he was quick to disappear, only to be replaced by Putties.

"Remember guys, aim for the Z!" Jason said as they launched on the attack. With the added power of the suits and the knowledge of how to defeat them, this battle with the Putties went a lot better than the last one, although it was by no means as easy as with Rita's Putties. With the destruction of the Putties, Pirantishead re-appeared, sending an energy beam at the Zords who began attacking.

"Zordon! We can't make it without the new Zords!" Jason said.

"THE NEW ZORDS ARE ON STANDBY, HOWEVER THEY CANNOT BE ACTIVATED UNTIL THE DEVICE ALLOWING YOU TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE OLD ZORDS IS COMPLETED." Although they already knew this, it was not what the Rangers wanted to hear.

"Zordon, tell Billy and Trini to hurry! I don't know how much longer we can last!" Jason said as they tried to recover from a blast from the Trigerzord. Suddenly, the Zords stilled, neither attacking, nor moving a muscle.

"I don't get it, why did they stop attacking?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. This whole thing is weird." Replied Tommy.

"The important thing is they stopped." Said Zack, relieved. His relief was short lived however, as Pirantishead appeared and directed the Zords towards the rally.

"We have to stop them!" called Jason, though he knew there was nothing they could do just yet. Zordon once again contacted Billy and Trini who said the device was still not finished, although they believed it should be soon. Meanwhile, the Rangers were doing everything they could to save the people from their Zords. It wasn't easy. The Zords fire power was enough to level the city of Angel Grove if left unchecked; a few people weren't going to be any match for them. Finally relief came.

"Hey guys, we got the signal blocker!" Called Trini as she and Billy ran over to their friends, device in hand.

"Yes!" They cheered.

"Alright here we go. Keep your fingers crossed guys." Said Billy as he pushed the button on the device. The Rangers did as instructed, not wanting to jinx it. It was futile, however, as the device did nothing and the Tyrannosauruszord came after them.

"Why isn't it working? I'm sure my calculations are correct." Muttered Billy as he tried to figure out what went wrong.

"Billy, try to fix it. We have to buy some time. Bring out the Power Blaster!"

"Power Axe!"

"Power Bow!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!"

"Power Sword!"

Billy threw his weapon in before turning his attention to the device.

"Let's go for the old fake-out." Jason muttered. He pointed the Power Blaster at the Zords but just as he fired, he turned to on Pirantishead. The monster was felled but by no means out of the game. Thankfully, by the time he got up, Billy had figured out what went wrong.

"I don't believe it." He groaned. "I put the battery in the wrong way!"

"Haha our genius." Tommy joked. With the battery in the right way, Billy hit the power on the device and they were able to block the signal that controlled the Zords. But Zedd was ready. When the Zords were free, he sent a power blast to Earth that opened up the ground underneath the Zords.

"Tommy, he didn't get the Tigerzord!" shouted Jason.

"Right. I'll send it back to its hiding spot. At least then Zedd can't get it." Reluctantly Tommy sent his Zord away just as Pirantishead grew big again. With no Zords and so no hope of defeated a supersized monster, the Rangers regrouped at the Command Centre.

"This is terrible Zordon, watching them sink down into the earth like that…" Jason trailed off unable to believe their Zords were actually gone.

"Yeah everything we've worked for is gone." Added Trini near tears; Jason placed a comforting arm around her.

"NOT QUITE, TRINI. ALPHA MANAGED TO SAVE ENOUGH OF YOUR OLD ZORDS TO CREATE THE NEW ZORDS."

"Really?" Kim asked as she and Tommy re-joined the group, having once again gone to check on their daughter.

"Aw it was nothing." Said Alpha. "All I had to do was refractorize the morph waves and…oh well anyways." He diverted when everyone but Billy looked at him confused. "I got control and now you can call your new Zords!"

"ZORDS WITH UNBELEIVABLE POWERS." Zordon assured them. "RANGERS, YOU MUST FACE PIRANTISHEAD AGAIN. CALL ON THE NEW ZORDS WHEN YOU NEED THEM AND THEY WILL COME."

"Your Zords are now activated." Said Alpha.

"Alright, back to action!" The Rangers teleported to where a giant Pirantishead was attacking, deciding now was a good time to call on the new Zords.

"Mastodon, Lion, Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl, Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Triceratops, Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

"Sabertooth Tiger, Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

"Tyrannosaurus, Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

"White Tigerzord Power!"

The Thunderzords were amazing, there was no other way to describe it. Bringing them together, they formed the Thunder Megazord. Tommy configured the Tigerzord into Warrior Mode and the two Megazords launched on the attack. With these new Zords, and the Tigerzord's upgrade, Pirantishead didn't stand a chance. The battle wasn't easy, but from the start the Rangers had him on the run. Finally, the Tigerzord called on it's fireball and momentarily paralyzed Pirantishead, allowing the Thunder Megazord to call on the Thunder Sabre and finally destroy the monster. This time when the Rangers returned to the Command Centre, it wasn't to regroup, but in triumph. Kira seemed to sense her parents' happiness and the five week old gifted them with happy noises as she contentedly settled into her parents' embrace.

"EXCELLENT, POWER RANGERS. CONGRATULATIONS ON AN IMPRESSIVE NEW BEGINNING."

"The new Zords will serve you well." Alpha couldn't help but add.

"ONCE MASTERED, YOUR ZORDS WILL REVEAL EVEN GREATER POWERS."

"This is great." Said Jason, smiling. "With new Zords, we'll beat Lord Zedd, I know we will." The other agreed but there was one thing on all their minds.

"Hey, whatever happened to Rita?" Tommy asked.

"Right this way and I will show you." Said Alpha. If it was possible, a little mirth was heard in his voice box. The Rangers faced the Viewing Globe and saw Rita locked away in her dumpster, floating around in space.

"We're finally rid of her!" said Zack, dancing around in happiness. The others laughed at his antics, all of them joining him inwardly, although they were able to outwardly restrain themselves. With that in mind, the Rangers returned to the rally. Kim Trini claimed a spot at the finished line, Kira in hand, and cheered along with everyone else as racers passed the finish line.

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**A/N - Here ya go! Don't really have anything to say on this chap, but on the last one: yes Kira is (or rather will be) the Kira from Dino Thunder. Though obviously with major differences. As I may (or may not, can't actually remember anymore) have said, this story will end when the Rangers give up their powers in Turbo. Kira's story will be told in a sequel, though hints as to the plot of the sequel will be given in this story as it is called for in some places. So stick around!**

**And there may or may not be a couple one shots for things like Forever Red, I haven't decided on that one yet.**

**Review please!**


	12. The Ninja Encounter

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 12 – The Ninja Encounter**

* * *

On a warm day in November, Kim and Tommy decided to take Kira to the park for the first time. The two watched in delight as their tiny daughter took in everything around her. The day was one of the best Kim and Tommy had had in awhile. For an entire day nothing mattered but their little family. No school, no work, no monsters; the entire day was wonderful. They took Kira to the playground and introduced her to the swing set, they had a picnic at their favourite spot by the water. Kira cried only once, when her parents took too long in feeding her, but was otherwise content to be distracted by the wonders around her. In early evening, when the sun was beginning to set and Kira had fallen asleep out of exhaustion, Tommy and Kim packed up to head home. Their retreat, however, was stopped by a frantic father chasing a run away stroller. Tommy took off after it as Kim followed with Kira at a slower pace. She was shocked to see people jumping away from the stroller instead of trying to stop it; it was a stroller and there was a baby in it, all anyone had to do was reach out and stop it; but no, they jumped aside instead. Eventually, Tommy caught up with the stroller at the same time that three teens on rollerblades did. Kim caught up with them just as the father did and was happy to see the child was unharmed.

"Jacob! Oh Jacob!" he said, taking the child from Tommy and holding him close. "How can I ever thank you?"

"We're just glad we got there in time." Tommy answered. The three teens quickly agreed.

"Well I think that's enough excitement for one day. Thanks again. And I'll see you three later." He directed at the newcomers before heading off.

"See you later Mr. Anderson!" called the girl before turning to Kim and Tommy. "I'm Aisha. This is Rocky and Adam."

"Hey, uh, I'm Tommy. This is Kimberly and our daughter Kira."

"Your daughter?" Rocky asked surprised, these two couldn't be any older then they were.

"Yep." Kim said, offering no more than that.

"So how do you guys know him?" Tommy asked, changing the subject.

"Mr. Anderson's a teacher at Stone Canyon High. He's the best." Said Aisha.

"Stone Canyon? You guys here to watch the Ninja Competition?" asked Tommy, referring to the final that would be held at the Youth Centre the next day.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that." Adam said, sharing a look with his friends. Tommy and Kim caught the look but shrugged it off.

"Well, we better get this one home." Kim said, looking to Kira who had slept trough the whole thing. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Goodbyes were said and the teens headed their separate ways.

**-T/K-**

The next day Kim and Tommy packed Kira up and took her to the Youth Centre with them where they met up with Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy who were saving them seats. Kira's carrier had barely been set down before Jason swooped in and picked his goddaughter up. After getting over holding her for the first time, he had quickly not only gotten used to it but enjoyed it. He often had to fight the others for the chance to hold her, Trini especially, and so he got in there while he could.

"Geeze Jase, you'd think it'd been two months since you've held her, not two days." Jason sent a glare at a snickering Tommy but his attention was quickly diverted to Kira who had grabbed on to his finger with all her tiny might. Kim and Tommy told their friends they had met three teens from Stone Canyon in the park yesterday and said they'd meet them here, but the three were nowhere to be found. The competition started soon after and it quickly became clear that the three competitors from Angel Grove fought dirty, and so it came as no surprise when the team from Stone Canyon won. When the winners removed their hoods to accept the trophy, Kim and Tommy did a double take.

"Wow. That's why we didn't see them in the crowd." Said Kim, for on the platform was Aisha, Rocky and Adam. The Rangers met up them out in the parking lot, introducing them to their friends. All of them were glad when the three teens didn't act any differently knowing Kim and Tommy were teenage parents, they simply accepted it and Rocky even ended up making funny faces to make Kira laugh.

"Hey congratulations." Said Tommy. "That was pretty awesome."

"Yeah, it's great to meet you all."

"We'll have to get together sometime, learn some of those moves you did in the competition."

"Absolutely." Adam agreed. After bidding their new friends goodbye, the Rangers headed towards their own cars, but turned back when they heard somebody scream.

"Oh no, Goldar."

"And Putties." It seemed like Zedd was taking no chances, for just as soon as the Rangers made to help their new friends, they were surrounded. Tommy, who was holding Kira, made a dash for the Youth Centre the moment the others cleared his path. Inside, he saw it was virtually empty, everyone having scattered when Goldar appeared. Not seeing Ernie, Tommy ran over to Bulk and Skull.

"Hey, I need you to look after Kira for a bit." He hated asking the bullies for help, but over the past few months they hadn't been bullies so much, their new obsession being to discover the identities of the Power Rangers, and they were surprisingly actually alright with Kira. They hadn't been left alone with her before, but Tommy knew that, for all their bullying ways, they were harmless, and they wouldn't let anything happen to his daughter. After all, Kim had been off limits to their bullying (teasing dare he say?) when pregnant, much as their entire group was whenever Kira was around; and had they not helped Kim when she went into labour? Without really waiting for a reply, Tommy set Kira's carrier on the table between the two of them, told them he kept a spare bag of supplies and toys for her behind the counter, and ran off to help his friends. By the time he got there, there were only a few Putties left, which he quickly helped dispatch, before they turned to help the others, only to discover their friends, and Goldar, were gone.

"We're too late, Goldar got them all."

"We better contact Zordon." Said Billy.

"Zordon come in." Jason said into his communicator.

"JASON, ALPHA AND I ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION. TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTRE IMMEDIATELY."

"We're on our way." Jason confirmed.

"It Kira alright?" Kim asked Tommy before they teleported.

"Yeah, I left her with Bulk and Skull."

"You left my baby with _Bulk and Skull_?!"

"Hey, she's my baby too, and you know as well as I do that they're harmless and actually like Kira." Kim couldn't fight that fact, though it would be awhile before she got used to the idea of Bulk and Skull being anything but schoolyard bullies.

"Alright let's go." She said and the six of them teleported out.

"THIS IS A VERY GRAVE SITUATION RANGERS." Zordon started the moment their teleportation beams had disappeared. "LORD ZEDD HAS CAPTURED THE CHAMPION NINJA TEAM AND IS TRYING TO TURN THEM INTO HIS OWN EVIL WARRIORS. THEY ARE BEING HELD IN ZEDD'S SECRET DIMENSION. WE MUST NOT ALLOW THE NINJA TEAM TO BE TURNED TO THE DARK SIDE, THE RESULTS COULD BE DISASTEROUS."

"I'll start looking for their exact co-ordinates." Said Billy, moving to the control panel. Suddenly the alarms blared.

"What now?" Kim groaned.

"LORD ZEDD IS ATTEMPTING TO DISTRACT YOU FROM YOUR MISSION TO RESCUE THE THREE YOUNG NINJA FIGHTERS. HE HAS UNLEASHED THE TERROR BLOSSOM MONSTER ON DOWNTOWN ANGEL GROVE. ONE SHAKE OF ITS DEADLY PETALS WILL FREEZE ALL THAT'S IN IT'S PATH."

"Aye yai yai! The Terror Blossom could shut down the whole city!"

"We gotta take care of it."

"Oh no! Lord Zedd has jammed our scanner frequency!" cried Alpha, Billy rushed over and tried to get it back but to no avail.

"You guys go, I'll stay here and work on a way to get the signal back and find Aisha, Rocky and Adam." The others nodded in agreement.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Rangers met up with the Terror Blossom in Angel Grove Park the battle with it was short but did not end because the Rangers defeated it, but rather because the monster disappeared, promising to return after planting its seeds to re-produce itself. However, it did not leave them alone, but with a group of Putties and a monster they had defeated once before, the Hatchasaurus. The Putties were defeated rather easily, but Zedd grew bored waiting for the Rangers to defeat Hatchasaurus once again and so made him grow big, deciding watching him be defeated once was enough; and hopefully the giant monster would created a significant amount of damage first. Calling on the Thunderzords and the Tigerzord, it was not long before Hatchasaurus was destroyed, but like last time, Cardiotron kept the monster from truly being destroyed. With some added help from Zedd, Cardiotron put Hatchasaurus together in a matter of seconds and the battle resumed. It seemed Zedd would do anything to keep the Rangers from finding and rescuing their friends.

"Guys! I've fixed the scanner frequency! Destroy that thing for good and we'll go get the others." Billy said. The Rangers quickly did as was asked of them, teaming up against Hatchasaurus until it was weak before breaking off. The Tigerzord destroyed Hatchasaurus then before Zedd could add his power to reassemble it, the Thunder Megazord destroyed Cardiotron. With that enemy gone, and the Terror Blossom nowhere to be found, the Rangers returned to the Command Centre where Billy had locked on to their friends.

"Alright guys, let's go free them."

"Right!"

"Back to action!" The Rangers teleported to the cave which housed the entrance to Zedd's dark dimension. They made it inside and to the portal that would take them into the other dimension when their communicators went off.

"What is it Zordon?" Jason asked.

"RANGERS, THE TERROR BLOSSOM HAS REAPPEARED AND IS TERRORIZING ANGEL GROVE, FREEZING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH AS IT LOOKS FOR A PLACE TO PLANT ITS SEEDS."

"Zedd must have sent it to draw us out now that Hatchasaurus is gone." Said Trini.

"MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. HOWEVER, A TRAP OR NOT, YOU CANNOT ALLOW THE TERROR BLOSSOM TO DESTROY ANGEL GROVE."

"But we can't let Zedd get Rocky and the others either." Said Tommy.

"BILLY, TOMMY, AND KIMBERLY, YOU WILL CONTINUE ON IN SEARCH OF YOUR FRIENDS WHILE JASON, TRINI AND ZACK GO TO FIGHT THE TERROR BLOSSOM. BE QUICK SAVING YOUR FRIENDS, RANGERS. THE TERROR BLOSSOM'S PETALS CAN CAUSE UNIMAGINABLE DAMAGE, THE OTHERS WILL NEED YOUR HELP."

"We'll be fast Zordon." With a nod to their teammates, Jason, Trini and Zack teleported out while the others continued through the portal.

"There they are!" Billy cried, causing the three to turn their heads.

"The Power Rangers! I told you!" Aisha said.

"Alright!" Rocky and Adam shouted, relief surging through them. Billy and Tommy launched on the attack as the Putties that had been guarding the three captives came forwards, while Kim released their friends.

"Come on, quickly!" Kim said leading them through the portal and outside. With little room to fight in Zedd's dark dimension, Billy and Tommy ran after their friends and began fighting in earnest now that they had enough room.

"Go on, get out of here!" Tommy called to the teens. The three of them, however, had other plans and began fighting the Putties. After all, hadn't that golden money informed them that they had been captured in the first place because of their fighting abilities?

"Aim for the Z!" Kim cried when she realized they weren't going anywhere. With the added help, the Putties were quickly dealt with.

"Thanks for the help." Tommy said.

"Thanks for saving us." Rocky countered. Anything else that might have been said was interrupted by the Rangers communicators going off.

"We read you Zordon." Said Tommy.

"THE OTHER RANGERS ARE IN TROUBLE. THEY NEED YOUR HELP."

"We're on our way." He confirmed. "Alpha, teleport these guys out to safety."

"Right away." Came the reply.

"You're safe now. We'll handle the monster." Billy assured them just before Alpha teleported them out. Once their new friends were safely out of harms way, the Rangers too teleported out, arriving at the park to three very frozen Rangers.

"Come to join your friends have you?" Terror Blossom asked as the Rangers appeared in the park.

"Not a chance!" cried Tommy. Terror Blossom sent a blast of his freezing petals their way but, having expected this, the Rangers were able to avoid them and use the second long advantage it gave them to grab their friends and teleport out. After arriving at the Command Centre, Billy and Alpha went to work analyzing the frozen Rangers trying to determine a cause and a solution.

"I've the cell based stimulator set on high." Billy muttered in frustration as when of his gadgets failed him.

"Then why isn't anything happening?"

"I don't understand. It's not working, Alpha."

"Maybe all it needs is a couple adjustments." The two plugged it into the main computer but could find nothing wrong with it.

"There must be a malfunction of some kind." Said Billy.

"Let's try boosting the power." Alpha suggested, but to no avail.

"I don't understand it, Zordon, I boosted the stimulator output to maximum capacity, but its not working. They're still frozen." Billy was certainly getting frustrated now, his gadgets rarely failed and when they did there was always a reason why they didn't. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Billy reasoned that there had to be a malfunction of some kind, he just hadn't found it yet. Steeling his resolve, Billy turned back to the computer but was interrupted when the alarms blared.

"Great, more bad news." Tommy muttered.

"Zordon, what's going on?" Kim asked.

"THE TERROR BLOSSOM IS HEADING TOWARDS THE POWER PLANT TO USE AS A HEAT SOURCE TO GERMINATE HIS SEEDS."

"If he destroys the power plant it'll shut down the whole city."

"We've got to do something."

"I'm finally getting something!" Billy cried. "Give me all the power you've got, Alpha." Alpha did as instructed and power began surging back into the frozen Rangers.

"It's working!" Kim squealed as she launched herself at Trini just as she regained movement.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"We don't have time to explain. We got a lot of work to do." The Rangers nodded, accepting they'd get their answers later and all six of them morphed back into action.

"Alright Terror Blossom, your through!" Tommy called, getting seriously pissed off with this guy.

"Who's going to stop me? You six shrinking violets?" The monster laughed and the Rangers prepared to attack but were interrupted by the arrival of Lord Zedd's grenade. Pulling the pin, the Terror Blossom grew to gigantic size and the Rangers wasted no time in calling on the Zords.

"Mastodon, Lion Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl, Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Triceratops, Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

"Sabertooth Tiger, Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

"Tyrannosaurus, Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

"White Tigerzord Power!"

The Rangers formed the Thunder Megazord, the Tigerzord converting to Warrior Mode. Terror Blossom sent a flurry of petals at the Zords, and while they caused some damage, the Rangers were largely able to dodge them.

"Alright, enough of this!" Jason growled after a few minutes in which they did nothing but pass attacks back and forth.

"Mega Tigerzord, power up!" he and Tommy shouted together, thinking the same thing. The Thunder Megazord disengaged, and the individual Zords, save for the Red Dragon, reassembled to include the Tigerzord and formed the Mega Tigerzord. With this new configuration, the Terror Blossom didn't stand a chance and the battle was over with one powerful attack. Letting loose a cheer, the Rangers sent their Zords back to their hiding places and teleported to the Command Centre.

"I still don't get how flower petals, that need heat to grow, froze us." Jason said a few minutes later, after Billy, Tommy and Kim had filled him Trini and Zack in on what had happened.

"I guess even Zedd's monster's can't defy the laws of nature." Said Billy, the Rangers looked at him funny.

"Flower petals that can freeze you…" said Zack. "I think the laws of nature are pretty much defied there." The Rangers laughed, enjoying the fact that Billy, of all people, had said something stupid.

"You know what I meant." Billy countered when the laughter died down.

"Yeah." Jason agreed. "But you slipping up happens so rarely we have to take every chance we get." Billy swatted at Jason who held his arm in mock hurt until Trini smacked him over the head.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For being an idiot." Trini replied.

"Ok." Jason conceded after a moment, causing more laughter throughout their friends.

"Well, not that this isn't fun, but we should really be getting back to Kira." Tommy said once he caught his breath.

"Yeah, who knows what Bulk and Skull have done to her by now." Kim added, shooting a glare at Tommy that promised a world of pain should anything actually have happened to Kira.

"Alpha, can you pinpoint Kira's location?" Tommy asked, ignoring Kim for now, but keeping her threat in the back of his mind.

"Affirmative. Observe the Viewing Globe." The Viewing Globe lit up to reveal no Skull and Bulk with a clothespin covering his nose. Though he was trying to entertain her, he wasn't doing a very good job and Kira was letting him know in the only way a baby knew how.

"Oh, come on, little lady." He said as he tried to get her to stop crying. "We'll get through this, I promise." Kira only cried louder, clearly expressing her doubt. "Who's a bunky monkey?" he tried tickling her belly, something he had seen Tommy and Kim do many times to the infant's delight. "Am I a bunky monkey?" Now Bulk had abandoned any true attempts to get her to calm down and had settled on his old reliable: acting like a fool. Suddenly Skull ran into view, carrying with him the entire box of diapers and baby wipes Tommy stored at the Youth Centre. When he got within smelling distance, Skull dropped the boxes in favour of covering his nose.

"Whew! How could a smell that nasty come from something so tiny?" he asked.

"Shut your trap and change the kid's diaper." Bulk ordered. Skull vigorously shook his head.

"Uh uh, no way, I got the diapers, you change her!" Skull shoved a diaper into Bulk's hands, receiving a glare in return.

"We'll flip for it." He responded, pulling a coin out of the rim of his hat. "Heads." He called only to uncover the coin and groan.

"Haha! And a better man for the job there couldn't be." Skull teased. The Rangers laughed at their antics; one thing Bulk and Skull were always good for was a laugh.

"Think we should put them out of their misery?" Kim said.

"Them?" scoffed Jason. "What about Kira? No wonder she's crying, after being exposed to them all day." Whatever the reason, Tommy and Kim teleported out of the Command Centre and landed under the cover of some trees, looking around to ensure no one had seen them, the two made their way towards Bulk and Skull.

"What are you two doing to our baby?" Kim asked, trying to be serious though failing utterly.

"Thank god!" they both cried, jumping up and practically shoving Kira into her parents' arms.

"Next time you want us to babysit, change her first!" Skull shouted over his shoulder as the two of them ran away, fearing what they had almost been forced to do. Kim and Tommy shared a look as they laid Kira back down on the table and quickly changed her diaper with the expertise that only having a baby can bring.

"Hey, they said next time." Tommy commented as Skull's parting words finally sunk in. Kim burst out laughing, setting off a chain reaction, and finally bringing an end to the crying. After changing their daughter, and cleaning up Bulk and Skull's mess, Tommy and Kim headed for the Youth Centre where they knew their friends, all of them, would be waiting.

"Hey, you guys ok?" Tommy and Kim asked, only partially having to feign concern, for they never actually did get to ask that question.

"Yeah, we're fine." Aisha assured them.

"They were just telling us how the Power Rangers saved them." Jason said with a straight face. The others nodded and settled in to hear the story, smiling as their friends unknowingly praised their heroics, and laughing when Rocky embellished his involvement in the Putty fight.

"Sounds like you guys had quite the day." Trini said.

"There you guys are!" came a voice from the door. The group turned to face the new comer and was met by the sight of Mr. Anderson and Jacob. The two of them had left after the tournament, giving the teens time with their new friends, and so had had no idea that they had been kidnapped by supernatural monsters with the intent to turn them evil. With a quick glance at each other, the group unanimously decided not to tell him that part of the day.

"It's time for us to go. Your parents will be getting worried." Though disappointed that their time in Angel Grove had come to an end, the three knew Mr. Anderson was right.

"Hey we'll keep in touch." Tommy promised.

"Stone Canyon's not that far away, we can visit all the time." Added Jason.

"You have to come down for the weekend, Aisha, I'll take you to all the hottest shopping spots in Angel Grove." Kim gushed, having discovered a fellow shopper in Aisha.

"Your it!" Rocky and Adam shouted at each other the second they had heard the word 'shopping.' Having said it at the same time, the two immediately began arguing, and although a lot of what they said was incoherent, the Rangers caught on to the gist of it. Apparently Tommy and Jason weren't the only ones with 'bag duty.'

"Guys, guys." Aisha said, cutting in with practiced ease. "No need to fight. Between me and Kim they'll be enough bags for both of you to carry." Kim smiled at their forlorn expression, though it quickly turned into a smirk when she heard Jason and Tommy try to stifle a snicker.

"No worries, Aisha. I've got my own porters." She jabbed a finger at the two buffoons who really just didn't know when to keep their mouths shut. The roles were now reversed as Tommy and Jason began protesting and Adam and Rocky allowed themselves a full out laughed; having already been assigned 'bag duty' and all. Mr. Anderson laughed at the teen's antics then turned to pick up Jacob and lead the way outside, but stopped short at the sight before him.

"Will you look at that?" he said with a smile. The gang gathered around, ohing and awing at what they saw. Kira's carrier had been placed on the ground by the table and sometime during the conversation, Jacob had wondered over and sat next to her, taking her tiny hand in his.

"Hey there." Tommy said in mock seriousness as he knelt down beside Jacob. "Just what, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter?" Tommy poked the little boy in the stomach causing him to giggle. A new round of laughter broke out, this time by everyone within eye sight, for naturally the two babies are garnered much attention. When the moment was over, final goodbyes were said and Mr. Anderson led the way out of the Youth Centre. The Rangers waved at their new found friends until they were out of sight.

"I got a feeling they'll be back." Jason said. "And not just for a weekend shopping trip."

* * *

**A/N - No, Jason, Trini, and Zack will not be leaving anytime soon. Though as Jason said, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam will be back, and they will become Rangers. Just not when they do in canon.**

**This should be the last episode re-do for awhile. Return of the Green Ranger is coming up but I'm not counting that as a re-do. So far I've had the episodes playing in the background as I write their corresponding chapter and took scenes and dialogue right out of the show. That has not and will not happen with Return of the Green Ranger, it will be entirely my own version. I believe the next true episode re-do will not be an episode, but will be The Movie! Which I'm far too excited about; The Movie, in my opinion, is Power Rangers at its best.**

**Review please!**


	13. Making Spirits Bright

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 13 – Making Spirits Bright**

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A month passed and Christmas came upon them. As it was Kira's first Christmas, Tommy and Kim wanted to make it extra special for her; though they quickly realized it was for them they really did it, as the four month old wasn't old enough to know what Christmas was. But, whether aware or not, Kira still ended up wearing a little elf costume to Ernie's annual Holiday Party. Kim and Tommy arrived at the Youth Centre shortly after the party had begun, their friends were already there and all converged on Kira who was delighted by the attention. Trini had reached her first this time and took her goddaughter into her arms before Jason could. Jason pouted but quickly settled into entertaining the little girl by making funny faces.

"You're right in your element there Jase." Zack quipped. "Looking funny I mean." Jason stuck his tongue out Zack causing Kira to giggle, thinking he was doing it for her amusement. She began squirming in Trini's arms reaching out to Jason who shot Trini a smirk before taking Kira into his arms. Kira had recently become a squirming, wiggling troublemaker. She was definitely too young to walk, and she wasn't crawling yet, but she had discovered her hands and feet and even how to roll over onto her belly, though she had trouble getting back. Ever since the little girl never wanted to stay still, preferring to bounce and clap and kick. And anytime she moved or did anything other than sit there, her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles would break into applause. Eventually, the adults regretted this reaction for it had conditioned Kira to expect this reaction every time and she made her displeasure known when she didn't get it.

Leaving their daughter in good hands, Kim and Tommy went over to say hello to Ernie. The owner of their favourite hangout had become an integral part of their lives in the last couple months, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey guys!" Ernie said in greeting. "How's your holiday so far?"

"Quiet, thankfully." Replied Tommy. Ernie nodded in understanding. Over the last couple months, the Rangers had opened up to Ernie about their lives as Rangers. It had started out of necessity. Shortly after Zedd arrived, he learned of Kira's existence and had tried to destroy the Rangers through her. One particularly close call, which had happened when Kira was in Ernie's care, had prompted Tommy and Kim to commission Billy and Alpha into create a communicator for Ernie, which while would not allow him to be privy to Zordon's calls, would allow him to call for help and teleport to safety. They had then explained to Ernie how it worked and how he could activate the teleportation device that would take both him and Kira to the Command Centre should they get into trouble again. Then, with Zordon's approval, the Rangers had taken it one step farther and gotten Ernie to test it out, teleporting him to the Command Centre and introducing him to Zordon and Alpha. From there things had progressed naturally. As their unspoken agreement not to speak of them being Rangers out loud no longer applied, they no longer stopped talking Ranger business when he was around, then even began turning to him for someone to talk to and found that as useful as it was to have someone who was involved in Ranger business to talk to, like Zordon, it was also nice to talk to someone who had an entirely different perspective.

Kim and Tommy were brought out of their musings when the volume suddenly increased with Kira's wails. Turning in the direction of their daughter they were met with Jason holding her out to them.

"I think she needs to be changed." He said taking a step back and breathing through his nose again. Tommy shot him an exasperated look. By some miracle, Jason had yet to change a single diaper.

"You know you're gonna have to learn eventually." Tommy said, hoisting Kira and the diaper bag into his arms.

"Maybe. But it's Christmas, cut a guy some slack."

"I think that's Tommy's line, Jason." Trini said, coming up from behind. "It's been four months, even Bulk and Skull have changed her, I think it's time you learned." The gang laughed as Jason was all but frog marched to the boys bathroom where Trini waited outside with the threat that she would come in and stand over him if Tommy said one word about Jason not helping. When they re-emerged into the main room, Jason had gone pale.

"How could something that nasty come out of such a tiny thing?" he muttered as he sat down. Kim patted him on the back, finding the entire situation hilarious. Although fully disgusted, the little girl's hold on him was strong and it wasn't long before Jason has holding her and playing with her as if nothing had happened. The gang had an enjoyable evening, glad that for once they weren't called away by Zedd's latest scheme. Their evening was interrupted by the arrival of Bulk and Skull, but for once it wasn't so much of an interruption as an addition. The gang looked at them incredulously as the two now former bullies each slid a haphazardly wrapped box across the table to sit in front of Kira.

"Y-you got her a present?" Tommy stammered. If it was possible, Bulk and Skull blushed.

"Well…uh…not really a present." Bulk said.

"Yeah, not a present." Skull repeated. Kim shook her head but opened the first box revealing a black and red plaid piece of material. Upon seeing it Kira reached out and grabbed it, giggling with delight.

"Is that your scarf?" Kim asked. Skull nodded.

"The little tyke loves it." He said. "Every time we babysit she has to have it." While Kim opened the one from Skull Tommy reached for the one from Bulk.

"A Pink Power Ranger?" He asked, picking up the small stuffed figure in the shape of Kim's Ranger form.

"Yeah…well she has a blanky," he said gesturing to the scarf, which was indeed large enough to be the baby's blanket, "Now she has a stuffed toy."

"She's all set next time we babysit." Skull added. Kim and Tommy shared a look. After all this time, after all the times Kira was practically dumped on their laps when the Rangers were needed, Bulk and Skull still hadn't figured out who they were. The Rangers were unsure whether there were bigger forces at work, whether the idea that they could be the Rangers was just too impossible to entertain, or whether Bulk and Skull were really just that thick; whatever the reason, they were glad the two bumbling idiots hadn't figured it out.

"Well…thanks guys." Kim said eventually taking the toy and handing it to Kira. The little girl squealed in delight. She wasn't really sure what was going on, but she liked it. Bulk and Skull cleared their throats before ambling off, leaving behind six very amused Rangers. The rest of the evening went by without incident and with many laughs and jokes. The joy the Rangers felt at not being called away by Zedd tonight had made them practically giddy. As the night drew to a close shortly before midnight, Kim and Tommy packed a sleeping Kira into her carrier and drove home, which this week happened to be at the Olivers. After placing Kira in her crib in the nursery adjacent to Tommy's basement bedroom, the duo retreated to Tommy's bed.

In a surprising turn of events, the parents allowed Kim and Tommy to share a bed. Both Kim and Tommy had refused point blank to spend the night away from their daughter, something their parents understood, but surprisingly instead of having another bed set up they allowed the two to sleep together. Tommy and Kim suspected it had something to do with the parents knowing that short of video surveillance or guards posted at the door they'd never actually be able to stop them sleeping in the same bed once they allowed the same house. It would only be too easy to wait for the parents to fall asleep before sneaking into the other's room. The two teens weren't sure whether they would have betrayed their parents' trust like that, but they were glad they didn't have to find out. Their only concern was what would happen once Kira was old enough to not need midnight feedings. After four months of sharing the same bed they couldn't imagine doing otherwise. They felt completely at peace together and neither had ever had a better night's sleep then when they slept together, even with Kira waking them up multiple times a night. As of yet, nothing beyond sleep had happened between the two. Between Kira, Ranger business, Kira, life in general, and Kira, they had neither the time nor the desire to become sexually active. Slowly, however, that began to change. As their lives began to calm down from the upheaval of a newborn baby and they got used to Zedd and his tactics, they found they had more time for themselves and their desire for each other grew. Heavy make out and petting sessions had ensued, but they had yet to go all the way. They weren't exactly sure how to get there, or even if they were ready for that yet. Their one sexual encounter had been as far from ideal as you could get and truth be told they were both scared of going there.

On this particular night Kim had finally worked up the courage to broach the subject. For weeks now they had been avoiding it, both pulling back awkwardly when things looked like they were going too far and when they felt the other's fear and guilt. Knowing full well Tommy would never broach the subject on his own, Kim decided it was about damn time she did.

"Tommy." She said, pulling back from his kiss.

"Yeah?" he said, his voice husky with desire though he made no move to silence her and continue on with their previous activities. After what had happened, he always needed to know that she was ok with what they were doing; he would never force himself on her again, not even so much as force a kiss on her.

"I think it's about time we talked about this, Tommy. We've both been avoiding the subject, and we can't anymore." Sighing Tommy leaned back against the headboard. Except for that initial week after he'd been released from Rita's spell he'd never felt awkward around her, the bond helping them both to understand the other and know what the other was feeling.

"Ok." He replied after a moment.

"Do you…I mean do you…want to have sex?" she asked, getting straight to the point albeit a little slowly. Kim could be subtle when she wanted but that tactic had never really worked well with Tommy.

"Do you?" he countered. Kim gave him an annoyed look, hating when he answered her questions with one of his own, as she knew he'd often tailor his answer to match hers, but she decided to let it slide this time.

"Yeah," she breathed out before backtracking. "I mean, not this minute or anything, but…yeah, I do. Everything we've done so far has felt great," Tommy nodded in agreement. "And I…I want you, Tommy." Her eyes searched his face while her mind searched the bond, looking for any sign that he didn't want what she did or that his next words were said merely to appease her.

"I want you too, Kim." He said to which Kim smiled, seeing, and feeling, no sign that he was lying. "But…"

"You're scared." She finished for him. Tommy nodded.

"I stole your virginity in the worst way possible. Your one sexual experience was nothing but pain…how-"

"Tommy we've been through this." He shook his head.

"I'm not talking about how you could forgive me, I long go gave up trying to understand how, and why, you could, and I've just accepted it. But how could you want me to touch you again after that? I know you're scared too, Kim, I can feel it. You're scared of what I did to you, of what I could do to you."

"There is a part of me that's scared." She admitted. "But there's a bigger part of me, a much bigger part, that knows you'd never hurt me."

"But what if its not me?" he asked suddenly, surprising Kim. She had anticipated the guilt and fear, but not this.

"What do you mean?" Tommy chose his next words carefully, unsure exactly how to explain what had been going through his head for the past couple months.

"There are times I feel like there's still a part of _him_ inside me; the me that Rita's spell created. Whenever you're in danger, or Kira's in danger, I can feel him. Twice now I swear he's almost fully come out. The first time when the Putties had you that day in the park when Rita created her Green Candle, then again when Zedd first showed up and I saw you and our newborn daughter surrounded. I-I couldn't control it; I just felt this overwhelming rage that anyone would even think of hurting the two of you, then the next thing I know I'm watching myself fight my way to you as if I'm a bystander, then I'm back in control once you're safe."

"Tommy…why didn't you say anything? I had no idea…"

"I didn't know how. I thought I was going crazy, then when I realized I wasn't I didn't know how to bring it up. I mean, I've only just accepted that it wasn't really me, that it was _him_, for arguments sake, that did all that to you, but now I have to accept that he's not really gone? That he could take over at any time and hurt you again?"

"You have better control than you think, Tommy. He can't just come out at will."

"Maybe not at will, but certainly when my emotions are running high. Each time he's surfaced my emotions have been out of control. And I know that….that when we finally make love, I'll be far from calm and collected."

"And you're worried he'll use that time to take control of you." Tommy nodded. Kim reached over and wrapped her arms around him. Tommy didn't hesitate in reciprocating her gesture, pulling her tiny frame against him and burying his face in her hair. The two just held each other for a few minutes, unable, and unwilling, to do anything else. Finally, Kim pulled away just far enough to look Tommy in the eyes.

"I don't know what's gonna happen." She admitted. "We're in completely uncharted territory, Tommy. Even Zordon, in all his millions of years, has never seen a bond as deep or as strong as ours. We're setting an entirely new precedent, and all I can say is that we'll take it one step at a time. No, let me finish." She said when he made to interrupt her. "We destroyed Rita's spell, or thought we did at least, but if you're right and a part of it is still inside you then maybe it's different, like our bond. Your emotions running high weren't the only thing in common those times he came forward; Kira and I were also in imminent danger both times. You know what that tells me? It tells me that it isn't the spell looking to gain control of you, it's you looking to find a way to save us. We know Rita's spell gave you tremendous power that when added to your Ranger powers made you more powerful then anyone could dream of. Those times he came forward, it didn't look like you would get to us in time, did it? Not with the power you had. So maybe that part you was helping out. Maybe when you alone weren't strong enough to get to us in time, it gave you the extra power you needed. You said you felt like you weren't in control. But did it feel like he was in control for any other purpose then saving us?"

"No." Tommy shook his head. "It didn't. And once you were safe I regained control."

"On the Moon, he said he wouldn't let anyone hurt me. Maybe this is him keeping his promise."

"Except me. He'd protect you from everyone except me. I could still hurt you, Kim. And Kira…she's just a baby, at least you can defend yourself…"

"You would never harm our daughter." Kim said fiercely, not a hint of doubt in her voice. "I know you, Thomas James Oliver, and I know that no part of you, _not a single part of you_, would _ever_ harm our daughter." Tommy sighed. He really wanted to believe her. There was a large part of him that was shouting its agreement with Kim, but the part that was still scared he'd lose control wasn't so sure. That part wasn't sure of anything aside from the possibility of losing control and hurting the two people who meant the world to him. Eventually, though, he nodded, unable to continue down this line of thinking but knowing she knew of his continued uncertainty.

"We'll take it one step at a time." She assured him, burrowing them both down under the covers and resting her head on his chest. "There's so much we can't foresee, so much we just have to take as it comes, like being Rangers, and parents. And it's worked so far." Tommy didn't say a word as he brought his arm around her and allowed his over active consciousness to draw on the calm and love coming from her end of the bond. "We'll figure it out, Tommy." Were her last words before the two fell into sleep, both knowing they wouldn't have long before the hungry cries of their daughter brought them back to the land of the living.

**-T/K-**

Although Kim's promise that everything would work out helped ease his fears, as they usually did, there was just something about Kim that had people believing in her, Tommy barely got any sleep that night, choosing instead to allow Kim to sleep while he took care of Kira. He knew Kim would be upset with him come morning for not waking her up, but he didn't really care. She was tired and he couldn't sleep, what was the point of keeping her up when she didn't have to be? The morning couldn't come quick enough for Tommy and it was with a sense of relief that he escaped upstairs for breakfast while a slightly irate Kim fed their daughter. As it was now Christmas Eve, there was a lot of preparation to be done. Christmas dinner was being held at the Scotts this year and everyone was heading their way to help set up and prepare what food they could beforehand. It was a tradition started some years ago that the Rangers and their families would have Christmas dinner together. Many of the parents were only children, and so had no family to contend with, while the rest were either estranged from their families, lived too far away, or spent Thanksgiving together instead of Christmas to accommodate their sibling's spouse's family. Whatever the case for each individual, the closeness of their children had brought the families together on Christmas. This would be the second year the Olivers were included in this get together and they were all looking forward to it. At least, Vivian and Mark were, and had thought Tommy was as well, but his melancholy attitude this morning told them otherwise. They shared a look, about to question him on it, but Kim chose that moment to come upstairs with Kira, handing her to her smiling grandpa. Looking in on the scene Kim could understand the worried look on Vivian's face. Sending the older woman a look, stating she knew what was wrong and it was better left alone for now, Kim sat next to Tommy and helped herself to some pancakes.

Tommy's mood improved throughout the day but not enough to not draw attention from their friends. Not wanting to start into this particular subject with her surrogate siblings, especially in front of their parents, Kim quietly told them to leave it alone. The preparations went well and everyone headed for their respective homes that night with a giddy feeling like only Christmas can bring. Kim and Tommy's return home was more subdued, though Tommy was all smiles for Kira, his melancholy disappearing instantly the moment that baby was near him. Letting Tommy put Kira to bed, Kim retreated to their bedroom and rummaged through her drawer. Finding what she was looking for, she felt her cheeks heat up as she swiftly retreated to the bathroom. When she emerged some fifteen minutes later it was to find Tommy lying on the bed with his eyes closed and head propped up against his arms.

"Handsome…" she called softly, not entirely sure if she wanted him to be asleep or not. A part of her was thrilled when he opened his eyes to look at her, and any hesitation she may have had went out the window when he sat bolt upright, jaw hanging open and eyes roaming over her.

"K-Kim…" he stammered when he found his voice. He was unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing. Before him stood the girl of his dreams, scantily dressed in a white lace babydoll. "W-what are…" he tried to articulate but found words escaped him as all his mind was still focused on the fact that his Beautiful was standing before him like this.

"What does it look like, Tommy?" she asked, walking over to the bed and sitting before him.

"God, Kim…" he breathed, his eyes never leaving her chest as she came closer. Kim let loose a small giggle as she brought a finger beneath his chin and raised his head to look her in the eyes.

"See something you like, Handsome?" Tommy merely nodded and was rewarded with a smile before her lips descended on his. Unable to help himself, Tommy brought his arms around and her pulled her flush against him, deepening the kiss.

"Kim wait." He said a few minutes later when she had successfully removed his shirt and began on his pants. "Why are you doing this? Not that I don't want to." He assured her before she could think he didn't want her. "But after our talk last night, and you know its been on my mind all day…why now?" Kim leaned back, giving them some space as they talked.

"Well I was planning something for during Christmas break. That's why I brought it up last night. I'd been trying to work up the courage for nearly a month to broach the subject."

"Really? You'd been planning this for awhile?" Kim nodded.

"I knew you'd never make the first move, not this first time anyways, so I had to do something if I wanted in your pants." She joked, earning a small smile from Tommy. "As to your question why tonight, I had been planning for Christmas day, but after our talk last night I decided to move it up one night. What you told me last night, what you've been thinking about all day, that you could lose control and hurt me, this is me showing you that I trust you, fully trust you and I'm not afraid-"

"You are afraid, Kim. You said so last night." He reminded her, refusing to believe she wasn't afraid like he was, especially when she had admitted as much barely 24 hours ago.

"And if you'd let me finish my sentence you would have heard me say that I'm not afraid _anymore._ You weren't the only one thinking about last night. I realized that my fear was being dictated by the past; it wasn't of you, or the thought that you might lose control, it was of what happened over a year ago. But I'm not afraid anymore. What you said last night, and my theory that that part of you just wants to protect us, it feels right, and had me thinking back to the Moon. The spell that bound me to you was meant so that I could never leave you, so we'd always be together. I think that now that we're together by choice, that part of you is appeased, and so long as we're together the only time you might 'lose control' is if his power's needed to protect us. Do you think I'm completely off here?" Tommy shook his head slowly as what she said sunk in.

"No. Now that you say it, I don't. I've just, never thought about it that way before."

"Well there's a reason I'm the brains in this relationship." The two burst out laughing, any residue tension disappearing. When they calmed down Kim wrapped her arms around Tommy's neck and pulled herself up so she was level with him.

"I want you, Tommy." She murmured. He felt himself nodding in agreement, any hesitation having gone away with the tension. Bringing his lips to hers he leaned back against the pillows and brought her to rest on top of him. The two kissed and let their hands roam until their desire grew to the point where neither of them could wait any longer. Climbing off of Tommy, Kim pulled her babydoll off, and watched with hungry eyes as Tommy removed his pants. Reaching into the bedside table, Kim pulled out a condom from the pack she had recently purchased.

"I'm on the pill, but no chances." She said as she handed it to him. Completely agreeing with her, Tommy opened the package and put the condom on before bringing himself to rest over Kim. With one final questioning look from Tommy and a nod from Kim, the two joined together. As they reached new heights, feeling things their previous encounter had left an impossibility, the shrill cries of two unknown entities joined theirs. So wrapped up were they in each other, neither Kim nor Tommy took notice of those cries, nor of the soft pink and white glow that surrounded them as they fell into a sated sleep.

**-T/K-**

The morning came too quickly this time. Kim and Tommy awoke abruptly, as usually happened when their daughter cried.

"Morning." Kim said sleepily as she leaned down to kiss Tommy before getting out of bed and heading into the adjoining nursery, wrapping a robe around her as she went. Tommy sat up in bed and made room for Kim as she brought Kira in and loosened her robe enough to feed her. Once the baby was suckling happily, Kim and Tommy shared a look, both smiling brightly, conveying their feelings about last night through the bond rather than in words. Once she was full, Tommy took over and burped the little girl before heading back into the nursery to change her. One thing about Tommy was that he never shied away from the less glamourous jobs of having a baby. If Kira was involved, he was hands on as much as he could be, didn't matter if it was changing dirty diapers. Kim took the opportunity to have a quick shower, before they traded off in a perfectly synchronized routine. When Tommy emerged from the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, the three made their way upstairs, remembering then that it was Christmas morning, and suddenly very happy for the alarm clock that was their daughter. If there was ever a time they didn't want Tommy's parents to walk in on them it was this morning, and if there was ever a day above any other when they would, it would be Christmas morning. Wishing Vivian and Mark a Merry Christmas, Tommy and Kim tucked in to a breakfast as they awaited Kim's parents before opening presents.

Once the private family time was over, everyone piled into the cars and drove over to the Scotts. A bouncing Jason greeted them at the door, a Santa hat on his head.

"Whoa, Jase. Excited much?" Tommy asked.

"Shut up." Came the reply as Jason snatched Kira from her father's arms and practically ran back into the house.

"Careful Jase!" Came Kim's reply as she and Tommy chased after him. They followed him into the living room and stopped short seeing him holding onto Kira with one arm and gently rocking a toy horse with the other.

"Is that…?" Kim asked, Jason nodded. "I thought we broke it."

"We did. I got Mr. Carter to let me repair it for my shop midterm."

"That's our old rocking horse. Jase and I used to fight over it all the time. Eventually we broke it." Kim explained to Tommy who nodded in understanding.

"I think she'll love it as much as we did." Jason said, a bright smile on his face, mimicking the one on Kira's, who was excited with something new. "But just in case, the guys and I chipped in and bought her a baby play set." He pointed to the tree where a large box was still wrapped. The gang, who had shown up just before or right after Tommy and Kim, brought it out and assembled it. By the time it was done, Kira's delight in her new toy had dimmed and so they placed her on her back on the little rug that came with the play set. Kira smiled again and batted at the hanging toys, laughing as they lit up and made noises. Seeing this scene had Tommy's already high spirits soaring, all of yesterday's melancholy was gone. Catching Zack's eye and seeing his friend gesture upwards, Tommy looked up and smiled.

"Mistletoe." He said, turning his attention to Kim. Looking up she too smiled before grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him down into a kiss.

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**A/N - Sweet and sappy chapter, but I've done so much Ranger gung-ho lately I felt I needed to get back to character a bit.**

**My own very different version of Return of the Green Ranger is next!**

**Review please!**


	14. The Return of the Green Ranger

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 14 – The Return of the Green Ranger**

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With Christmas break behind them the Rangers saw the return of school, and unfortunately for them, the return of Rita. In a disturbing turn of events, the evil sorceress had escaped her dumpster and returned to the Moon and married Lord Zedd. The Rangers didn't know which train of thought was worse: Rita and Zedd teaming up to destroy Earth, or the two actually getting _married_ of all things. Both were pretty bad, so they agreed it was a draw and determined not to think on it.

Luckily for them as the months passed the battles got easier and more predictable as they had been when Rita was in charge. Apparently she was having a negative influence on Zedd, much to the Rangers' delight. They were able to settle into a new routine, relatively similar to their old one, and life continued on with little interruption beyond the normal ones.

Over the following four months, Kira grew, as all babies do, and she was now eight months old. Tommy and Kim were so incredibly proud of their daughter who was now a mobile menace. She had been crawling for awhile now, but just a week ago had taken her first steps. It wasn't much, she could take only a few steps without assistance, but it meant that she wanted to walk everywhere, even if Tommy or Kimberly had to walk slowly while holding on to both of her hands. This is how Tommy entered the Youth Centre one Saturday morning. He was greeted with lots smiles and cooing, or rather Kira was. Tommy let go of her hands when they neared the bar and she toddled the last few steps and latched herself onto Bulk's leg who looked down, feeling something bump into him, and frowned, though it had no true annoyance in it.

"Hey, short stuff, my leg is not a scratching post."

"She's not a cat Bulk." Said Tommy, heading behind the bar and sticking Kira's bottle in the microwave.

"Well whatever she is get her off my leg."

"Come on, Bulky, she's not that bad." Said Skull, leaning down and picking Kira up. The little girl squealed in delight. She was old enough to recognize the people who were nice to her, and Bulk and Skull were nice to her, still constantly babysitting; though whenever they were in public, and she wasn't under their protection, they put up their tough front.

"Hey, Tommy, can you help unload the shipment?" Ernie called, sticking his head out of the back room.

"Sure thing, Ernie." Tommy opened the microwave and grabbed Kira's bottle, checking the temperature on the inside of his wrist.

"Hey, Skull, feed her will ya?" he asked, placing the bottle on the counter and heading towards the back. Tommy helped Ernie unload the food shipment and returned fifteen minutes later to see his daughter sound asleep on Bulk's shoulder. He smiled at Bulk, knowing he had a soft spot for Kira. Seeing he was caught, Bulk cleared his throat and handed the sleeping baby over to her father. Tommy's smile turned into a smirk which he sent Bulk's way, but he took the offered child and carried her over to the playpen Ernie had set up on the other side of the bar when Kira was no longer content to just sit in her carrier. Nearly everyone at the Youth Centre loved Kira and those who didn't rarely came to the Youth Centre as they were the real bullies at Angel Grove High and so no one put up with them. As such there was no shortage of people keeping an eye on her and Tommy and Kimberly were completely at ease leaving their daughter in the playpen as Tommy worked and they hung out with their friends. The Rangers were enjoying their time this late April when they had only a couple projects before the big crunch for finals and arrived about a half-hour after Tommy, having stayed behind at school to work on a project.

"Where's Kim?" Tommy asked his friends when he didn't see her arrive with the others.

"She said you guys were almost out of diapers and she was going to stop off and get some before joining us here." Said Jason. Tommy nodded, knowing they were indeed low on diapers. But as he left them to go make their usual order, he couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

**-T/K-**

Kim had decided to take a walk through the park on her way to the Youth Centre after picking up the diapers. It was such a nice day and she too was enjoying the down time before finals, but her nice day turned sour when a swarm of Putties showed up. Dropping the diapers, Kim immediately fell into a fighting stance. She knocked back the first two Putties that came at her and launched into a series of flips and kicks. She battled alone for a few minutes before calling in the others, seeing that the legion of Putties wasn't thinning out. Four of them arrived seconds later, immediately joining in the battle, and Tommy arrived barely a minute afterwards after having ensured Kira was looked after as they ran off. Very quickly the Rangers noticed the 'divide and concur' tactic the Putties were employing, but with the sheer number of them, there was very little they could do but go along with it. Once the Putties had successfully separated the Rangers, their true purpose became clear, at least for one of them. Tommy had just landed another kick when Rita and Zedd's latest monster made its appearance.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Tommy asked, paying just enough attention to the black cloaked, mask covering a glowing orange face, monster to dodge an attack should it come his way.

"I am the Wizard of Deception. I come bearing a gift from Lord Zedd and Empress Rita." It responded in a sinister voice.

"Yeah? Have Rita and Zedd finally decided to give up? Cause that's about the only gift I could think of that I'd even consider accepting."

"Oh, but you will like this gift. Or at least you will in a moment…Green Ranger." With that the Wizard raised the wand it carried and shot a spell at Tommy. Although he had been prepared for an attack, he had not counted on the Putties using his distraction to hold him still, ensuring the spell hit him. Falling to his knees from the impact, Tommy groaned and brought his hands to his head.

"Our work here is done." The Wizard cackled as he and the Putties disappeared. Once they were gone, the Rangers met up, confused as to what had just happened. It didn't take them long, however, to determine the cause.

"Tommy!" Kim cried, spotting him doubled over by a nearby tree. The Rangers rushed to his side voicing their concern.

"I'm ok." He said after a few moments. "Really."

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"Their latest monster showed up, the Wizard of Deception, he called himself. He hit me with something and I felt weird, but…I'm fine now."

"We should get Alpha to look over you just in case." Said Kim, still worried.

"I'm fine, Kim, really." He said with a smile. She still looked sceptical so he added, "I promise I'll go to Alpha if I feel weird again, even just a little bit." Although reluctant, Kim nodded knowing how stubborn Tommy could be. She consoled herself with the thought that she'd be there with him all night in case something did happen. Grabbing the fallen pack of diapers, the gang made their way back to the Youth Centre, not noticing as Tommy's smile turned into a smirk and his eyes flashed green.

**-T/K-**

That evening Tommy and Kim climbed into bed after putting Kira down, ready to relax and fall asleep, or at least one of them was. Kim practically fell into bed, exhaustion finally catching up with her. Tommy, on the other hand, had something else in mind and brought his lips to hers before trailing kisses along her neck and collarbone.

"Mmm…that feels good, Tommy, but I'm so tired. I don't think I can even move."

"Well you don't have to. Let me do all the work tonight."

"Not tonight, Tommy." She murmured, trying to role on to her side but found it impossible as Tommy straddled her, keeping her in place as he continued to pepper her with kisses. Kim's brows furrowed. After the first couple times, Tommy had began to initiate sex but never had he been this insistent.

"Not tonight, Tommy." She said more forcefully as she reached up to push him off her only to quickly find her arms pinned above her head, his hands digging into her wrists.

"What did you say to me?" he growled.

"I said no!" she almost screamed, though her voice trailed off as her eyes met his, though his eyes weren't the deep brown she was used to, but shining green.

"Tommy…?" she breathed, unsure exactly what to make of the situation. She wracked her brain for a reason for the green eyes and it didn't take long for her to remember that afternoon when Tommy admitted Rita and Zedd's latest monster had hit him with something. "That monster that hit you today, it did this."

"Very good, Kimberly; my Lord and Empress have gifted me with power. Though I admit, I hadn't planned on revealing myself just yet, but you are just so delectable; I really couldn't help myself."

"You never could." She muttered, supressing an eye roll. "So what now?"

"Now I'm going to worship your body as it deserves to be. Then we'll destroy the Power Rangers and ensure my Lord and Empress' victory, and you, me, and our daughter will be together forever."

"I won't let you hurt Kira."

"Why would I want to hurt my own child?"

"I won't let you turn her evil either."

"Evil is a matter of perspective." He shot her a self-satisfied smirk before releasing her arms and removing his shirt. Kim felt fear well up inside her as she tried to get away from him but found she couldn't; her mind went back to that night on the Moon almost two years ago. Her fear channelled through the bond, reaching that part of Tommy that the Wizard of Deception's spell had supressed. The good in Tommy had been trying all day to break free without any success. But now, with Kim once again in this position, he found the power he needed. It seemed that, like with many things in life, he needed that final push to be able to accomplish his goal. Tommy doubled over and fell onto his side as the good and evil within him fought for dominance. Kim took that moment to scramble off the bed, though she was not leaving him, not by a long shot. Closing her eyes, she opened the bond to its fullest extent, sending all her love for Tommy through it. The effect was almost immediate. A shrill cry was heard as a bright white light burst forth from Tommy. When Kim opened her eyes, the light had dimmed enough to be able to see Tommy in the centre of it, still doubled over, though he wasn't alone. A second form, surrounded by a faint green glow, was crouched beside Tommy. The two figures raised their heads simultaneously and brown and green eyes locking together.

"What…the hell?" Tommy muttered, staring into a copy of himself, though evidently one that possessed the evil the Wizard of Deception had infused him with. The copy, who Kim quickly named 'Tom' to avoid further confusion, stood up and assessed the situation. Separated from his host, he no longer possessed enough power to defeat him, at least not yet.

"I will return." He said to Tommy, sending a calculating look at Kimberly, then to the door leading to Kira's nursery, before disappearing. The message was clear: he would return for Kim and Kira. Tommy stood there, his jaw set with determination. There was no way in hell he was letting that guy get his hands on either of them.

"Pack a bag." Tommy all but growled, still glaring daggers at the spot where Tom had stood. "I'll grab Kira. We're going to the Command Centre. Now." It wasn't a request, but it was something Kim was only too happy to oblige nonetheless. She may have been scared before for herself, but Tom's threat against Kira had the mother bear in her coming out full force. Tom may not intend to hurt Kira, but he answered to Rita and Zedd, who would not doubt love to get their hands on her. Quickly packing a bag full of necessities for Kira, and a change of clothes for herself and Tommy, the two teleported out, thinking of nothing but defeating Tom before he could hurt their family.

Arriving at the Command Centre, the Rangers wasted no time in calling in their friends. Though relatively late, they themselves wasted no time in teleporting in, being met with an irate Tommy and a wailing Kira, who had been wrenched from her slumber by the uncomfortable sensation of teleportation.

"What's going on?" Jason asked. Tommy, who had been angrily pacing, turned his attention to the newcomers but was quickly handed his crying daughter, with a look from Kim that clearly said she'd fill them in. Tommy merely nodded as he walked a ways away and began to rock his daughter, taking comfort from her as she did from him.

"Tommy wasn't alright." Kim told their friends. "The monster that hit him, hit him hard."

"With what? What happened?" asked Zack.

"It hit him with a spell, one meant to turn him evil again."

"And?" Trini muttered shooting a look at Tommy.

"It worked." Kim admitted. "At least to a certain point. Like before, the real Tommy wasn't destroyed but supressed. He was able to break free, but something weird happened this time. Instead of the evil being supressed, it left his body and formed one of its own."

"Meaning…?" asked Jason.

"Meaning there is an evil carbon copy of Tommy out there somewhere." Billy surmised. Kim nodded.

"I named him Tom." The others shot her a look, unable to discern if she was serious or not. "Well he's a living, talking, being, for all intents and purposes, and I'm not gonna call _him _Tommy." Although they acknowledged her reasoning, they still found it weird.

"So what do we do?" Questioned Zack once this newfound knowledge had sunk in.

"We find him." Said Tommy, returning to the main platform with a now merely sniffling baby. "He threatened to come after Kim and Kira. We have to find him before he gets them."

"Oh we'll find him." Answered Jason darkly, his voice and posture becoming stony hearing his little sister and goddaughter had been threatened.

"But what do we do when we find him?" asked Trini. "Now that he has his own body is he like any other monster, just one that took on Tommy's form? Or is he a part of Tommy?"

"IT IS MY BELIEF THAT KIMBERLY'S ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION IS CORRECT." Said Zordon, joining in the conversation for the first time. "THE EVIL THAT THE WIZARD OF DECEPTION INFUSED TOMMY WITH HAS GAINED A PHYSICAL FORM, BUT AS THIS EVIL IS NOT NATURALLY A PART OF TOMMY, TOM IS NOT A PART OF HIM EITHER."

"So it won't hurt Tommy to destroy him." Jason said.

"THAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, A WORD OF CAUTION, RANGERS. WHILE TOM IS NOT A PART OF TOMMY, HE ONCE WAS. HE WILL POSSESS MANY OF THE SAME SKILLS AND POWERS AS TOMMY HIMSELF, AND ALSO NOT ONLY POSSESSES TOMMY'S FORM, BUT HIS DNA."

"Meaning…?" asked Zack.

"MEANING THAT ON TOP OF TOMMY'S NATURAL ABILITIES, TOM WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE GREEN RANGER POWERS IN RITA'S POSSESSION." The gang groaned and hung their heads in disbelief and anguish.

"You mean we now have _another_ Evil Green Ranger to deal with?" Moaned Jason. Trini patted him on the back, though for once it wasn't in mock sympathy. Before anything else could be said, the alarms blared, making the Rangers turn towards the Viewing Globe.

"The Dragonzord." Tommy sighed in defeat. It was his worst nightmare come true. He was downtown destroying Angel Grove, hell bent on getting his hands on Kimberly, and now Kira, and this time he didn't have the excuse of being evil.

"It's not you, Tommy." Jason said, reading his friend's mind and clasping him on the shoulder. "You're on the right side this time."

"It's still me, Jase. Even though we're not connected, he's still a part of me. One that has access to my powers."

"Don't worry, we won't let him use the Green Ranger powers to destroy the city."

"Not exactly the powers I was talking about." Tommy murmured to himself, shooting a glance at Kim, thankful that she missed it as she was fussing over Kira who she was trying to settle in her playpen. Tommy went over to help her, both of them knowing that even though the city was being destroyed, neither of them would leave Kira until she was calm and asleep. The other Rangers respected this decision and patiently waited for them, everyone needing to face this evil all together. Finally, after five painstaking minutes in which the Viewing Globe showed the Dragonzord rampaging around downtown, Kira fell asleep and Tommy and Kim left her in the capable hands of Alpha.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason called, not wasting anymore time.

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Rangers arrival downtown was heralded with cries of joy and relief from the mass of people who were evacuating their homes.

"No holding back." Jason ordered. "We all hate to see the Dragonzord go, but we don't have time to try and save it."

"Right!"

"Let's show 'em the power of Thunder!"

"White Tigerzord Power!"

With the formation of the Megazords, the Dragonzord was forced to stop its assault on the city and turn its attention to the Rangers. It quickly became clear that even with the added power of the Thunderzords, and Tommy's Tigerzord, the Dragonzord was easily a match for all of them.

"Why is it," Zack griped as the Thunder Megazord got knocked down yet again. "That we're _still_ not a match for this guy, even with our supposedly superior Thunderzords?"

"Lord Zedd must have made some adjustments." Billy said. "Our new Zords should be more powerful than the Dragonzord…theoretically."

"Yeah well reality is we need to do something." Snapped Jason, as he maneuvered away from the Dragonzord's swinging tail. He didn't mean to snap, but this scenario was all too familiar and he was getting more than frustrated with it.

"I think it's time to bring out the Mega Tigerzord." Came Tommy's voice over the comm.

"Good idea. Thunderzords disengage!" Jason ordered and the Rangers found themselves back in their individual Zords. Jason kept the Dragonzord busy as the others joined with the Tigerzord.

"Try to keep him in one place, Jase." Said Tommy. "If we get a clear shot maybe it'll be enough." The Rangers' hopes were not unfounded, but neither did they come completely true. The added power of the Mega Tigerzord was enough to put the Dragonzord out of commission for a while, but they knew it wouldn't be for too long. With his Zord down, Tom began attacking the city himself, drawing the Rangers to his location.

"Your powers are no match against mine!" Tom yelled as he charged the Rangers with the Dragon Dagger.

"Still just as arrogant I see." Said Jase as he dodged the attack, earning a scowl from Tommy.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad!"

"Oh yes you were, Handsome." Kim chimed in. Tommy scowled at her too, but said no more as a group of Putties joined the fight.

"You ready to come back to me, Kimberly?" Tom asked when the battle brought them face-to-face.

"No thanks. Why take a copy when I have the real thing?" She landed a kick to his midsection, knowing that it wouldn't really have any effect, but not having expected to double over in pain herself.

"KIM!" Tommy cried from his place fighting three Putties, having felt her pain through their bond. The mark on Kim's back burned and she knelt down, instinctively curling into a ball.

"Did you forget, Kimberly?" Tom asked as he de-morphed and approached her. Kim felt her morph disappear and looked up at him in confusion, her mind briefly thinking they were lucky that even reporters, who seemed to always get pictures they shouldn't have been able to, would not be this close to a battle of this size and so their identities were safe. Tom knelt next to her and pulled her into his arms, and she unconsciously lifted her hands and brought them to his bare neck, seeking the skin-to-skin contact that would alleviate her pain. "You cannot act against me. You cannot fight me, or hurt me, without the magic binding you to me activating. I own you, Kimberly."

"You made me de-morph." She whispered, still trying to catch her breath as the pain subsided.

"Clever girl." He smirked before leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Tommy roared, sending the final Putty flying as he raced towards them. For all his evil ways, Tom would always protect Kim from anyone but himself, and so, although the force coming at them was technically a part of him, Tom shoved her aside to meet Tommy head on. Being de-morphed, Tom was ill equipped to protect himself from a fully morphed, enraged White Ranger and Tommy was able to get in a good hit with Saba, sending his evil copy to the ground. Tommy then wasted no time in back tracking to his real objective, and went to make sure Kimberly was alright.

"I'm fine." She said as she morphed again at the same time that the other Rangers joined them.

"Rangers, Goldar's leading a group of Putties to attack the city." Alpha called through the communicators.

"Rita and Zedd really aren't holding back." Muttered Jason. "Kim, Zack, and Billy, you three go head off Goldar. Tommy, Trini, and I will stay here."

"No wait." Tommy said. "Tom can control the spell on Kimberly. If she walks away it might activate. I'll go with her, Zack or Billy can stay. Maybe because Tom and I are technically the same person the spell won't activate if I'm with her."

"Alright." Jason said, completely agreeing with him. He neither wanted his little sister in pain, nor could they afford to be down a Ranger.

"I'll stay." Said Zack. "Go guys." With a nod, Billy, Tommy, and Kimberly teleported out to meet the next part of this already disastrous night, but not before they heard Tom swear that he would not stop until he had Kim and Kira.

Tommy and Kim didn't say a word to each other as they fought off the Putties and Goldar; they didn't have to, both were thinking the same thing: that there was no way Tom was going to get his hands on Kira. Though Tommy's train of thought added Kim to that. Both were shaken up at the realization that Tom had power over the spell on Kim, though Tommy wasn't too surprised. The guy was a part of him after all. The battle against Goldar and the Putties went as they usually did, but with one distinct difference, it seemed that for every Putty they destroyed, two more appeared in its place. It was no secret that Rita's Evil Green Ranger had been the closest she ever came to destroying the Rangers, and it seemed that Zedd realized this and was capitalizing on this new Evil Green Ranger, sending all his forces at once, knowing, as Rita had, that this was probably his best chance to destroy the Power Rangers.

"Guys!" Came Billy's voice from his spot fighting several Putties. "Goldar's leading the Putties into the Youth Centre. There's people in there!"

"Will you be ok?" Tommy asked Billy, knowing that he couldn't separate from Kim right now.

"I'll be fine, go!" Taking one last look around and seeing that most of the Putties had followed Goldar, Kim and Tommy made a mad dash to the Youth Centre.

"Alright, Goldar, that's far enough!" Tommy yelled, flipping in front of the golden monkey and falling into a fighting stance as Kim herded the crowd into a corner to give them more room to fight.

"Your time is at an end, White Ranger!" growled Goldar. Not for the first time Tommy and Kim were thankful for their enemies tendencies to call them by their colours, as one word is all it would take to blow their cover. Goldar ordered the Putties to attack but they were no match for Kim and Tommy, who allowed their anger and frustration to appear in their fighting. This time when a Putty went down none appeared to take its place. It appeared that Rita and Zedd's demand for Putties had finally caught up with Finster and no more were coming; at least not yet.

"Looks like you're out of clay heads." Tommy said to Goldar, who, having just seen two Rangers defeat nearly twenty Putties in under a minute, decided he was out matched and left before they could cause him any harm. With the threat gone, Kim and Tommy turned their attention to the crowd.

"He'll probably be back." Kim said. "You should get out of here." The crowd didn't need to be told that twice and immediately booked it out of there, all except one, that is.

"What's going on?" Ernie whispered, careful to ensure no one was paying attention, which they weren't, too caught up in fleeing were they.

"You don't wanna know." Tommy said. "Suffice it to say it's bad. We're trying to handle it, but they're not pulling any punches this time." Ernie nodded.

"Be careful." He said.

"Always are." Without another word, Tommy and Kim ran out the door to re-join the fight. Billy had handled the Putties admirably and there were only a couple left, which, with the added help of two Rangers, were easily dealt with.

"We should get back to the others." Billy said, as they all scanned the area for more Putties and came up short. Although worried about Tom's next move, Tommy and Kim agreed and the three of them teleported back to their friends. They were met with the sight of the Green Ranger standing over their friends who were barely moving. Upon seeing them, Tom disappeared, and the three ran over to their fallen friends.

"Are you guys alright?" Kim asked as she helped Trini up.

"Yeah. He got us pretty bad but we'll be fine." She replied.

"Why didn't you call us?" Tommy asked Jason.

"We knew you were busy and thought we could handle it."

"We should have known better after last time." Muttered Zack. "No offense, Tommy."

"Where do you think he went?" wondered Jason.

"I don't know. But he disappeared pretty fast once we got here." Tommy and Kim froze as their minds thought up every possible location Tom could have gone, one sticking out above the rest.

"Think he gave up?"

"No." Kim breathed, a fear like she had never before felt washing over her.

"He's gone to the Command Centre." Tommy added, his fear mirroring Kimberly's. The others shared a look, catching up a second after Tommy and Kim.

"Kira!"

* * *

**A/N - Part 1 of 2! Like I said, I really didn't use much of anything from the actual episode. I know some of you have been wondering what I'd do for this episode and picturing your own version of my version of this episode (if that makes sense) and I'm really curious to know if you think I'm botching it up or not so...**

**Review please!**


	15. Green on Green

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. _

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Green on Green**

* * *

"Kira!" They all cried. Without wasting any more time, the six Rangers teleported back to the Command Centre, dreading what they would find. Upon arriving, they all made a mad dash to Kira's playpen, finding it empty. Kim broke down into sobs, turning into Tommy who was barely holding it together himself.

"My baby, he has my baby…" Kim kept saying. Tommy pulled her close and tried to reassure her that they would get Kira back, silently adding that there would be hell to pay if she was injured in any way. Tommy's calm demeanour began to crack as Kim clung to him. His daughter was gone, now in the hands of evil, and it was all his fault. Tommy felt rage build up inside him, and while he tried to tamper it down, his eyes flashed green, though it went unnoticed as Kim was still sobbing into his chest and he other Rangers had left the two alone for a moment, going in search of answers. They found it in the form of Alpha, who had been shut down, and a dismantled control panel, cutting off their connection to Zordon. Billy quickly re-activated Alpha who began running around in a frenzy when he remembered why he had been shut down. Eventually, Kim and Tommy joined the others, Kim's eyes were red from crying, though now she was all cried out, and Tommy's held unconcealed fury.

"Find him." Tommy growled, and this time when his hard eyes flashed green, it did not go unnoticed and left the Rangers wondering if Tom had taken all the evil out of Tommy. Whatever the case, they all sprang into action and worked to re-assemble to control panel and bring back Zordon. An hour later they succeeded and their mentor appeared once more in his energy tube.

"RANGERS…I AM SO SORRY. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP TOM."

"No, it was my fault, I should have protected Kira." Alpha said and the Rangers had no doubt he was really feeling human emotions.

"It's no one's fault, Alpha." Kim said, having composed herself enough to be rational. "We all should have remembered he had access to the Command Centre with the Dragonzord Power Coin."

"What matters now is that we get her back." Tommy added.

"Where would he have taken her?" Trini asked. "To Rita and Zedd?" Slowly, Kim shook her head.

"I don't think so. Before Tom separated from Tommy I told him I'd never let him hurt Kira and he said 'why would I want to hurt my own child?' I believe he was genuine. He doesn't want to hurt her, or me, he just…"

"He's exactly like I was when I was evil." Tommy picked up for her. "In his own way he loves Kim and Kira and just wants to be with them."

"It's just that the evil in him is making him go about it all wrong." Jason concluded. Tommy and Kim nodded.

"So if not to Rita and Zedd, where then?" Kim and Tommy shared a look, not wanting to go down that road, but knowing they had no choice.

"My old room in the Moon Palace." Tommy sighed. "It's protected from Rita and Zedd and their minions." Everyone tensed at that, none of them having good memories of the place.

"We'll go and storm the palace. Between the six of us we'll get her back." Jason said.

"No, Tommy and I will go. We can't all just storm the palace and start a battle with a helpless baby in the middle of it all. We'll get Kira back, count on it." She said, a hard determination setting in. "Billy, Alpha, do you think you could ward the Command Centre against the Dragonzord Power Coin? So he can't get in again?" Billy nodded.

"We can do that. It's a simple matter of re-organizing the energy frequency attached to the Power Coins so that the energy grid protecting the Command Centre no longer recognizes the Dragonzord Power Coin."

"Good." Kim said absentmindedly; having tuned him out once he said it was possible.

"Ptera," Jason murmured, coming forward and pulling her into a hug. "Are you gonna be ok?" Knowing his sister as he did, he saw passed the hard determination to the fear she felt at returning to that place. Kim nodded into his chest.

"I have to be, Rex. My baby needs me." Kim suddenly found herself the centre of a group hug, though Tommy was quickly pulled in alongside her.

"Be careful you two. Come back safe." Trini all but ordered. With a nod, Tommy and Kim shared one last look before activating their teleportation devices and teleporting to the place of their mutual hatred. No sound greeted their arrival, though by the hairs on the back of their necks standing up, they knew Tom was there. In his absence they took the time to take in the room, noticing that it hadn't changed one bit. The bed was still the focal point of the sparse room, with the same dresser, and same torches lining the walls. Both Kim and Tommy noted that the chain that had held Kim captive was still attached to the bed, though neither lingered on it too long, instead focusing their attention on the door behind the bed that led to the bathroom, where a light was shining and where their instincts were telling them their enemy, and their daughter, were. Sure enough, Tom emerged moments later cradling a calm Kira who was wrapped in a fluffy green towel.

"I gave her a bath." He said in greeting, as if this was a common occurrence, and they had been there the whole time. Neither Tommy nor Kim moved as he went to the dresser and pulled out a diaper and onesie, expertly dressing the baby before he sat on the bed with her in his lap and finally turned his attention to the newcomers.

"I knew you'd come eventually." Was his only comment.

"Of course we did." Came Tommy's clipped reply. He so obviously wanted to strangle the being before him but knew he'd have to go through Kira to do so, and that was something he'd never do. "Give us our daughter."

"She's my daughter too, White Ranger. Or did you forget, we share DNA."

"And that's the only thing we share. She may also be yours biologically, but she's _my_ daughter!" Tommy growled.

"I propose a trade." Kim spoke up before they could get into a pissing contest. "You let Tommy leave with Kira…and I'll stay here with you." Two pairs of eyes shot towards her, one set incredulous, the other intrigued.

"No way." Said Tommy. "Not happening."

"What do you say, Tom?" Kim asked, ignoring Tommy.

"Deal." He said after a few moments.

"No, no way, Kim. I'm not letting you stay here."

"You don't have a choice." She rounded on him, the fire in her eyes now directed at him. "I've readily and willingly forgiven you for a lot Tommy. But I will _never_ forgive you if you don't put Kira first." That did it for Tommy. He knew even before she said those words that she was right. From before she was even born Kira came first. But a part of him had still been trying to figure out a way to get them all out of there, not seeing that this had been Kim's plan all along until it was too late. She knew Tom would never let Kira go without something significant being given in return, and while Tommy was trying to find a way to save both her and Kira, Kim had already by passed that stage and reconciled herself to reality; the reality where it was either her or her daughter. A reality where there was no competition.

"I'll be fine, Tommy." She tried to re-assure him. "_I'm not a helpless baby_. I can take care of myself; I fight in battles and everything." She sent him a meaningful look and, confused, Tommy tried to access her thoughts through their bond only to find her end shut off. Holding her gaze for a moment he saw that indeed she had a plan, and he only needed to figure out what it was. Sighing dramatically in the hopes that Tom wouldn't have noticed their little interaction, Tommy reluctantly acquiesced.

"Know, White Ranger, that this is only a temporary trade." Tom informed him as he brought Kira over and passed her to Tommy. "I will defeat you, and when I do, I will have my daughter back." Tommy bit his tongue to stop him from retorting that Kira wasn't his daughter, and instead forced himself and back away and, with one last look at Kim, teleport out.

Tommy reappeared in the Command Centre and was immediately set upon by four anxious friends who were thrilled to see both him and Kira back safely.

"Where's Kim?" Jason asked once he and everyone else was sure Kira was unharmed.

"She traded herself for Kira." Tommy growled, his jaw set. Although clearly unhappy, none of them looked surprised. They would have done the same thing for Kira and she wasn't their daughter.

"So how do we get her out?" asked Zack as if this was just like any other problem where they knew they'd succeed, they just had to figure out the best way of doing so.

"She was trying to tell me something." Tommy said, shifting a now sleeping Kira in his arms. He could have placed her in her playpen, but he was completely uninclined to put her down right now. "I tried to tap into the bond to figure it out but she closed off her end."

"Given that Tom is obviously included in your bond that's not surprising." Said Trini. "Whatever she was trying to tell you she doesn't want him to know and is afraid he'll see it through the bond as well."

"What did she say? What hints did she give you?" asked Billy.

"She said…she said she would never forgive me if I didn't put Kira first."

"Yeah, don't think there's any hidden meaning in that one." Said Jason. "What else?"

"She said she'd be fine, that she could take care of herself, that she wasn't a helpless baby and could fight in battles. Think she's trying to tell me she'll get out on her own?" Billy shook his head, his brilliant mind racing ahead of the others.

"No, I think she's talking about strategy. Before you guys left Jason said we'd storm by palace and get Kira back, but Kim said we couldn't because there was a helpless baby in there."

"But now there isn't." said Tommy, his mind catching up. "There's another Ranger in there, not a helpless baby."

"So we storm the Moon Palace?" Zack asked.

"It worked two years ago." Jason answered referring to when they had rescued Kim that first time. "And this time we have Tommy on our side and the Command Centre is now closed off to Tom. All we have to do is get in long enough to get her out. Tom won't be able to come after her here." Agreeing with the plan Tommy finally put Kira down and prepared to morph.

"Billy, Zack, and Trini, you guys will be the distraction. Tommy and I will get Kim out and we'll contact you when we have." With a nod the Rangers fell into line.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"GOOD LUCK POWER RANGERS." Said Zordon as they teleported out. Arriving on the Moon, the group separated. Tommy led Jason down various corridors, taking the long way to give the others enough time to start the distraction while still being in place for when Tom left to investigate. Along the way, however, they met with some resistance in the form of Squatt and Baboo.

"Go." Said Jason. "I'll take care of these two." Tommy nodded and ran off, waiting until about a minute after he heard the explosion and shouts of anger signalling the beginning of the distraction, before he slipped into his old room and stopped dead in his tracks. There, lying on the bed practically naked with her arms chained to the headboard was Kimberly, who was doing all she could to fight off Tom, who had not taken the bait. The sight of himself molesting Kim like this brought the entire incident of two years previously crashing back to him. Every emotion, every thought he had had, both when he had been under Rita's spell and right after he had been released, ran through his mind, but what stuck out most was the memories of Kimberly. Kimberly chained to his bed, Kimberly crying herself to sleep, Kimberly terrified then resigned to her fate, the mark he left on her and the pain it caused her; everything came back to him and it was enough to send him over the edge. An undiluted white-hot rage built up inside him and Tommy did nothing to stop it. He had promised Kim he'd never hurt her again, and here he was, or a part of him was, about to go back on the promise in the worst way possible. Tommy allowed the rage to overtake him and felt a large burst of power unleash from within him. It was enough to knock Tom over and send him careening into the wall. Kim's head snapped to Tommy and her mouth fell open in complete and utter shock. Unbeknownst to Tommy, the power surge had relieved him of the white spandex and he once again stood as the Green Ranger. Tom slowly picked himself up and turned to face the intruder, his mouth also falling open in shock. Anything else he may have said or done was cut off as Tommy surged forward and wrapped his hand around Tom's neck, slamming him into the wall.

"You hurt her. I'll kill you." Tommy said, his voice deathly quiet. With that he disappeared in a flash of green with Tom.

"Great." Kim muttered, as she tried to free herself unsuccessfully. Her mind couldn't fully wrap around what had just happened. Tommy, not Tom, had just morphed into the Green Ranger. How was that even possible? Luckily, Kim was saved from having to try and figure this out on her own by the arrival of the Red Ranger.

"Kim!" Jason cried seeing her. "Oh God…Kim." He added when his brain caught up with his eyes. Averting his eyes from her bare chest, and glad it was only her upper half that was bared, Jason called on his Power Sword and cut away the chain as he had once before. Kim covered herself with one arm as she reached into the dresser and pulled out one of Tom's t-shirts and sweatpants.

_Or rather Tommy's t-shirt and sweats. _She mused seeing it was the same ones she had worn before. Evidently this room had not been touched in two years.

"Where's Tommy?" Jason asked once she told him he could turn back around. He could really care less where Tom was, but he knew Tommy wouldn't just leave Kim chained to a bed, let alone this particular bed in this particular room. Something was up.

"He came in and saw…." Here she faltered. Feeling the safety her big brother provided, any clinical, rational thought was quickly leaving her and her emotions were catching up.

"I think I can guess what he saw." Jason murmured, taking Kim into his arms as tears leaked from her eyes.

"Yeah…anyways something happened, I don't know exactly what, but there was a surge of power and Tom was thrown against the wall and there was Tommy fully morphed…as the Green Ranger." Under his helmet Jason's eyes widened.

"The _Green_ Ranger?" he double checked, unable to fully believe what Kim was saying. She merely nodded. After a moment Jason came back to his senses and realized that he should really get Kim out of here.

"Wait, my Morpher!" Kim said as he began to carry her to the balcony. Jason turned back and saw her Morpher and communicator sitting on top of the dresser, which he had somehow previously missed. Back tracking, Kim grabbed both objects and put her communicator back where it belonged before bringing it to her lips.

"Guys I'm safe. Teleport out." She said, somehow knowing the others were here. She smiled as various cries of delight were heard and four beams of light teleported out. They arrived back at the Command centre where Kim immediately went over to Kira's playpen and snatched her baby up, holding her close. The child didn't wake, for which Kim was glad, but the closeness was having a great calming effect on the mother. Going back up onto the main platform, Kim avoided her friend's eyes as they took in her new state of dress, obviously forming their own conclusions, though thankfully keeping them to themselves.

"Zordon, something happened with Tommy." Kim said, looking up at their mentor. "He's the Green Ranger again." Three sets of jaws dropped open, a common occurrence at this news.

"ALPHA, PIN POINT TOMMY'S LOCATION AND BRING IT UP ON THE VIEWING GLOBE." Zordon finally said when he had gotten over his own shock. Alpha did as instructed and a couple seconds later the Viewing Globe lit up to reveal two Green Rangers locked in a fierce battle.

"How is this even possible?" Trini asked the question they were all thinking.

"I AM NOT SURE." Zordon answered truthfully. "I SHALL HAVE TO RESEARCH THIS FURTHER. HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW THE CITY NEEDS YOU. LORD ZEDD AND RITA HAVE UNLEASHED THE WIZARD OF DECEPTION IN RETALIATION FOR YOUR INFILTRATING THEIR PALACE. YOU MUST DESTROY HIM QUICKLY RANGERS, TOMMY WILL NEED YOUR HELP."

A nod was the only answer he got as Kim replaced a still sleeping Kira into her playpen before re-joining the others.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Rangers immediately called on their Zords and engaged the Wizard of Deception in battle. It was a relatively quick battle. It seemed while the Wizard's magic was powerful, he was neither a good fighter nor really had any other powers. Sending their Zords back to their hiding places, the Rangers teleported to Angel Grove park, where the two Green Rangers were still locked in battle.

"Do we step in…?" Jason asked as they just stood there, unsure exactly what to do.

"But which Green Rangers do we step in against?"

"I'm still trying to figure out how this is even possible."

"I think we're all trying to figure that one out, Zack." Muttered Trini. With no idea what to do, and no idea which one was Tommy, the Rangers watched the battle unfold, ready to jump in if an opportunity presented itself. They quickly noticed, however, that the battle seemed to be one sided. One Green Ranger was on the defense the entire time; they only hoped it wasn't Tommy. Eventually, just after the sun had risen enough to qualify the end of 'sunrise,' the Green Ranger on the offense finally landed a solid hit, knocking the other down.

"You're time is up, Tom." He growled, levelling the Dragon Dagger at Tom's throat and finally telling the others who was who. Gasping, Kim rushed forward, grabbing Tommy's arm and trying to pull it down.

"Tommy don't."

"He hurt you!" Tommy growled, not lowing the dagger but not making a move to throw her off.

"Not like you think. He didn't rape me, Tommy."

"But he was going to! I just got there before he could."

"Whatever he was going to do, you don't want to do this Tommy."

"Of course I do. No one hurts you and gets away with it."

"Tommy, look at him!" she said more forcefully. "Really look at him, and not just through hate filled eyes." Never being able to deny her anything, Tommy did just that. What he saw caused him to lower his stiff stance. Tom was kneeling on the ground, un-morphed and head hung. It appeared he had given up, which is what stopped Tommy in his tracks; the Tom of fifteen minutes ago wouldn't have given up.

"Look at me." Tommy ordered his counterpart, still unsure if this was a trick. Tom did as asked and the Dragon Dagger lowered completely seeing the guilt filled eyes and tears running down his cheeks.

"What…?" Tommy muttered. Empowered as he was with the Green Ranger powers that his rage had somehow allowed him to obtain, Tommy had no idea what to make of the current situation.

"I'm sorry." Tom said, lowering his head again. "I never meant to hurt her."

"What the hell is going on?" Jason asked as he and the others came over.

"We're wondering the same thing." Muttered Kim.

"You destroyed the Wizard of Deception, didn't you?" Tom asked. The Rangers nodded. "His spell is broken. The evil he infused me with is gone. Now I'm just another Tommy."

"So what exactly does that mean?" Trini asked. "There's just gonna be another Tommy running around?"

"That's one possibility." Tom answered, standing up and facing Tommy. "Or I could merge with you again."

"What?" Tommy asked.

"I'm a part of you Tommy. The part of you that was infused with the Wizard of Deception's spell who took on a physical form when your power forced the evil out. But as you forced me out, you can bring me back."

"You want me to merge with you? To allow you back inside me?" Tom nodded.

"I know what you're thinking, why should you when I hurt Kim? But it was the evil that did all that. Just like two years ago when you weren't in control of yourself due to Rita's spell, I wasn't in control of myself either."

"Tommy." Kim murmured, looking right through his visor and signalling her agreement.

"And just think, merge with me and you'll have the Green Ranger powers back. Though you apparently don't need the Power Coin to access them." Tom added, indicating Tommy's current form.

"How did I access them?"

"No idea." Tommy thought for a moment on the decision laid before him. The powers he had accessed were still running rampant through him and were making his instincts scream at him to destroy the threat and get Kim to safety. But Kim was standing beside him, he could feel her hand on his arm, but what was more, her end of the bond had been thrown wide open and he could feel her acceptance of Tom and what he was saying. Eventually he acquiesced.

"Alright. So…how do we do this?"

"Concentrate. Summon your power and will yourself to be whole again." Tom instructed. Tommy did as instructed and at first nothing happened. He was still feeling a great amount of rage and it was stopping him from accepting Tom. After a few moments, he felt Kim's consciousness within his own, drawing on the rage and in effect distracting it, allowing the rest of Tommy to concentrate on the task at hand. Through his visor Tommy could see a bright light surround Tom, and he assumed himself, before Tom disappeared and Tommy felt the power surge when they merged. The end was very anti-climatic for the only indication Tommy gave that it was over and, they presumed, had been successful, was a terse "Let's get back to the Command Centre." No one was in disagreement and so six beams of light teleported out of the park, not long before it began to fill with people as the day started. For all the terror of the monster attacks themselves, after two years, the people of Angel Grove were used to the aftermath and a monster attack wasn't going to stop them from getting on with their lives.

The Rangers arrived at the Command Centre and de-morphed, all eyes immediately going to Tommy, who, apart from looking tense and stressed, showed no other signs of the enraged being he previously was. Kim had gone over to picked up Kira who was just waking and was quickly joined by Tommy. The others patiently waited as they excused themselves to feed and change their baby. Once Kira's needs were taken care of, the Rangers turned to Zordon for answers.

"What the hell just happened?" Tommy began. "How did I access the Green Ranger powers?"

"THAT I CANNOT TELL YOU, TOMMY, FOR I DO NOT KNOW. IN THE TIME I HAVE KNOWN YOU, YOU HAVE SHOWN EXTRAORDINARY POWER, AND ACCOMPLISHED FEATS MANY OF THE MOST SEASONED, MOST POWERFUL, WARRIORS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS IS EVEN MORE TRUE WHERE KIMBERLY, AND NOW KIRA, IS CONCERNED. MY ONLY CONCLUSION IS THAT YOUR ACCESSING THE GREEN RANGER POWERS IS YET ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY FEAT."

"So there's no real explanation? None?"

"I'M AFRAID NOT, TOMMY. THERE IS MUCH IN THIS UNIVERSE THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED, BUT SIMPLY IS, AND UNLESS A TIME COMES WHEN AN ANSWER PRESENTS ITSELF, THIS IS SIMPLY ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS." Having no better explanation the Rangers accepted Zordon's answer. They had come across a lot of crazy things as Rangers which were best to just accept and move on, and this episode would just be added to the list.

"And Tom?" Jason asked. "Was what he said true?"

"I BELIEVE SO. THE WIZARD OF DECEPTION INFUSED TOMMY WITH EVIL, MUCH AS RITA DID BACK WHEN HE FIRST BECAME A RANGER. HOWEVER, THIS TIME AROUND TOMMY FOUGHT THE EVIL TO THE POINT WHERE HIS POWER EXPELLED IT FROM HIS BODY." He paused for a moment, ensuring the Rangers were still following him. When he saw they had, he continued.

"BUT THE EVIL IS NOT A SEPARATE ENTITY, SPELLS BOND WITH THE ONE ON WHOM THEY ARE CAST, AND SO EVEN THOUGH THE EVIL WAS OUTSIDE OF TOMMY, IT WAS STILL A PART OF HIM EVEN THOUGH IT GAINED ITS OWN BODY. WHEN THE WIZARD OF DECEPTION WAS DESTROYED, THE SPELL BROKE, LIFTING THE EVIL ON TOM AND LEAVING BEHIND A COPY OF TOMMY."

"And because Tom was originally a part of Tommy, created through power and magic instead of being born, he could merge back with Tommy." Billy surmised. Zordon nodded.

"What about the actual Green Ranger powers? Tom said I'd have access to once we merged." Asked Tommy.

"IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO TRY AND USE THEM. RITA GAVE THE POWERS TO TOM, BUT WHILE THEY ARE NO LONGER IN HER POSSESSION, THEY ARE STILL UNDER HER CONTROL."

"But you don't really need the official powers, you got your own cheat sheet." Zack joked. Half-hearted laughs were given, no one really in the mood for jokes after the night they just had.

"Alright then." Kim said after a few moments. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I know we're exhausted. So if there's nothing else I think we're gonna head home." As one the Rangers groaned, remembering home and their parents and how they had disappeared in the middle of the night right before a major monster attack and haven't been heard from since.

"I guess we should all get home. We got some explaining to do." Jason said, not looking forward to the coming confrontation. With trepidation the Rangers teleported to the park, thinking it better to walk then teleport directly home. Tommy and Kim walked into the Oliver household, Tommy still carrying Kira, and unsurprisingly were met with their very worried parents, all of them. Lectures and yelling, however, were cut off when the parents got a good look at the two of them.

"What happened?" Caroline asked.

"Kira was fussy last night, we snuck out and took her for a walk instead of waking everyone, but got caught in the carnage of the latest monster attack." Was all the information Kim gave as she and Tommy didn't even stop on their way to their basement bedroom. Shutting and locking the door, knowing that for once their parents wouldn't complain, Tommy went immediately to the nursery and set Kira down in her playpen, making sure she had lots of toys, and silently begging her to be good and quiet for at least a little while. When he returned to the bedroom a pink blur made a beeline for him, and without hesitation he met her halfway, both clinging to the other as they sunk down to the floor and let all the pent up emotions from the night come out. They must have sat there crying into the other's embrace for at least fifteen minutes before either of them uttered a word.

"I'm sorry." Tommy was the first to say. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe…I never meant…I never wanted you to go through that once let alone again. I never wanted to see that room again."

"I know." Kim said, nodding her agreement. "I was so scared, Tommy! I knew when we went there that I'd have to stay to get Kira out, but I-I didn't think it wouldn't have changed, didn't think that damn chain would still be there, didn't think I'd…I'd end up in that position again…"

"I know. I know, Beautiful. But its over, and I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you ever again. I know I promised you this last time and failed, but I swear to you it won't happen again. I have this extraordinary power, as Zordon said, and I swear I will _never_ let anyone hurt you _ever_ again. Not even me."

"It's not your fault, Tommy, I don't blame you. We've been through this so many times you know this speech as well as I do: yes I was scared, and even if I could hide that from you I wouldn't, but I don't blame you. Not then, not now, not ever." They held each other in silence for a while longer; calming each other and basking in their bond and the pure love they felt for each other.

"Look at us," Kim said when they finally pulled apart, though neither let the other go. "Our lives are so fucked up. When did our lives get so fucked up? These are not problems normal teenagers are supposed to have."

"Our lives got fucked up just under two years ago." He replied and Kim let out a humourless laugh. "And it's sad to say, but this _is_ our normal. Well, maybe last night wasn't quite normal, even for us, but you know what I mean."

"And I wouldn't have had it any other way." Kim assured him, looking directly into his eyes. "For all the bad that happens to us there's also a world of good. We wouldn't have met Zordon and Alpha, we wouldn't be this close to our friends, and most importantly we wouldn't have each other. At least not like this." Suddenly a cry was heard from the other room, causing Kim to smile. "And more than most important, we wouldn't have her."

"There's not a thing in this world that I would trade either of you for." Leaning down, he gave Kim a chaste kiss. They pulled away when their daughter's cries became more demanding, and somehow feeling more invincible then ever before, the two rose to see to their daughter.

* * *

**A/N - Return of the Green Ranger done! The Movie is up next and will be a combo of my own stuff, as well as taking dialogue from the movie.**

**Review please!**


	16. Morphological Beings

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers  
_

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Morphological Beings**

* * *

After the incident with Tom, things got back to normal, though with some new discoveries within Tommy. The evil he had always fought, he now felt in tune with. Tom's words that 'evil is a matter of perspective' now held meaning for him. The powers which allowed him to access the Green Ranger powers, tapped into the evil within him; though Tommy knew he would never willingly use those evil powers for evil purposes, but rather to give him the strength needed to protect his family. He became more at peace with the fact that Rita's spell had indeed left traces of evil behind and that they would always be apart of him. This acceptance showed outward results in Tommy's fighting, for while he would never consciously use the evil powers for evil, he unconsciously tapped into them during battle to better protect his family and the Earth; making him a bigger, stronger force to be reckoned with.

**-T/K-**

More time passed and the school year came to an end. Tommy and Kimberly were pleased to see that having a daughter hadn't completely ruined their academic records. They may not be straight A students, but they were far from failing anything. They knew they would have not accomplished that without the love and support of their friends and family. And so July 1995 came and along with it, a new enemy. Construction on a new high rise uncovered the resting place of an ancient evil. Rita and Zedd released said evil from its imprisonment, hoping with the added power, that they'd finally be able to destroy the Power Rangers. One Saturday morning, the Rangers competed in the Angel Grove Jump-A-Thon to raise money for the observatory. It was a beautiful day, and although they had spent the morning jumping out of a plane, they spent the rest of the day rollerblading and hanging at the park. The Rangers first become aware of the impending doom when their day was interrupted via a frantic summons to the Command Centre.

"Alpha, what's going on?" asked Tommy, when the Rangers arrived at the Command Centre. He had teleported in with Kira, who as usual was making a big fuss to announce her continued annoyance with teleportation.

"A massive surge of evil energy is overloading our sensors! Aye yai yai!"

"RANGERS! YOU MUST ACT SWIFTLY, THE PLANET IS IN GRAVE DANGER." Said Zordon.

"Danger from what?" asked Kim, as she took Kira from her father and bounced her a few times, giving her a teething ring, and calming the child enough so they could focus on Zordon.

"SIX MILLION YEARS AGO, A MORPHOLOGICAL BEING KNOWN AS IVAN OOZE SOUGHT TO RULE THE UNIVERSE. HE SUCCEEDED IN CONCURING MANY PLANETS AND GALAXIES AND RULED WITH A REIGN OF UNPARALLELLED TERROR. HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF COMPLETING CONSRTUCTION OF HIS ULTIMATE WEAPONS THE ECTOMORPHICON TITANS, TWIN MACHINES CAPABLE OF ENSLAVING THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE."

"What happened to him?" asked Jason.

"MYSELF AND SIX ANCIENT WARRIORS JOINED FORCES AND LURED HIM INTO A HYPERLOCK CHAMBER. WE BURIED HIM DEEP UNDER GROUND ON A PLANET THAT, AT THE TIME, CONTAINED NO INTELLEGENT LIFE."

"Earth."

"YES. BUT NOW THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN ACCIDENTALLY UNCOVERED. YOU MUST RETURN IT TO THE DEPTHS BEFORE IT IS OPENED AND IVAN IS RELEASED."

"His Ectomorphicons were buried near the chamber. If Ivan escapes he's sure to find them." Added Alpha.

"USE EXTREME CAUTION RANGERS. YOU ARE DEALING WITH AN EVIL HERE THAT IS BEYOND ALL IMAGINATION." The Rangers didn't like the sound of that; apparently there was a being far worse than Rita and Zedd combined. Kim and Tommy left Kira in the capable hands of Alpha and the Rangers wasted no time in teleporting to the location of the hyperlock chamber.

"You guys see anything?" asked Trini.

"Let's take a look up there." Said Tommy; pointing to a small hill they couldn't see over. On the top of the hill they saw an egg, a very cracked open egg, that had some gooey substance in it.

"What is that stuff?"

"It reeks."

"Hey!" the Rangers spun around at the new voice and saw a security guard. "What are you kids doing here?"

"Um…you haven't by any chance seen a morphological being lurking around here?" asked Kim, deciding to get straight to the point.

"Morphological being?"

"Yeah."

"What the hell is that?" The Rangers looked to each other, unsure how to continue.

"Wait a second. Did it look something like this?" Before their eyes, the security guard morphed into an ugly, purple, sinister looking monster.

"Ew gross."

"Too kind, allow my introduce myself, I'm the galactically feared, globally reviled, universally despised; they call me Ivan Ooze."

"Well pack your bags, cause we're sending you right back to where you came from." Warned Jason.

"Hmm…a young one with a big mouth, not much has changed in six million years."

"You obviously don't know who you're dealing with, Mr. Raison Head."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we're the Power Rangers."

"Woo! Where's my autograph book? Ha! Power Rangers huh? So Zordon's still using a bunch of kids to do his dirty work. Well meet my kids!" He raised his arms and purple energy shot out of his hands, hitting the ground and causing some other purple monsters, smaller though no less ugly then him, to appear.

"From this moment forth the world, as you know it shall cease to exist! Welcome to my nightmare!" Once again he raised his arm and energy shot out of his hands. This time however it seemed it was mostly for show. "Bye bye kiddies!" Or not, as the energy then took him away in a similar fashion to the Rangers' teleportation. That left the Rangers themselves alone with Ivan's Oozemen.

"He's gone!"

"What are we gonna do?"

"Looks like there's plenty of room down there." The Rangers looked behind to the area below the hill where they arrived.

"Go guys!" ordered Jason as he and Tommy jump kicked the two closest Oozemen, sending them backwards into the others. This gave the Rangers enough time to jump down the hill and prepare themselves for the inevitable fight.

"Let's take these beasts!"

"Spread out!" The Rangers did as instructed and a few of the Oozemen followed each of them. Tommy ran over to where a bunch of tools lay a grabbed a shovel.

"Welcome to my nightmare." He said as his fight began. Elsewhere, Zack was being chased by two Oozemen and was running out of space, coming to a part of the construction yard that was roped off. Spying a bucket laying on the ground he kicked it at one of the Oozemen.

"Ever play kick the can?" when it hit the Oozeman in the stomach, Zack launched over him to punch the second one, only to be punched in return. Beside him, Trini was in a similar situation. Two of the Oozemen had grabbed her arms and were trying to hold her still for a third who was charging at her.

"Uh uh." She said as she swung her arms back and then forward, knocking the Oozemen together with the momentum, and causing the third Oozeman to run right in to them. Across from Trini, Billy was flipping away from a couple punches that had been thrown his way. He stopped when he reached an Oozeman who was trying to sneak up on Kimberly. Catching him by surprise, Billy sent a few hard kicks his way, knocking him down. Kimberly thanked Billy by sending an Oozeman flying over him hitting another one who tried to sneak up on Billy. The two joined forces and were able to fell a few more Oozemen, but they just got right back up.

"These guys don't know when to quit!" shouted Billy, landing another kick. Kim gasped as she spied more Oozemen coming their way.

"See ya!" she said, and began to flip out of there.

"Right behind you Kimberly!" called Billy as he too flipped away. They joined their friends, who were also being overwhelmed by the continuous stream of Oozemen.

"They've got us cornered!"

"We can't hold them off!"

"There's too many of them!"

"Let's do it guys!" commanded Jason.

"Right!" they shouted back.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The familiar sensation of morphing over took them and seconds later where once six teenagers were, stood the now legendary Power Rangers. Said Rangers came out of morphing in fighting stances, anticipating immediate attacks from the enemies who had been surrounding them a mere minute ago.

"Where'd they go?" Kim asked.

"Keep your eyes peeled." Said Zack, as they rangers formed a circle to cover each other's backs as they looked around.

"Heads up guys! Over there!" cried Jason, pointing to the half constructed building across the lot. The others turned and saw shadows, too big to be human, running inside.

"Careful, it could be a trap." Said Tommy.

"Right!" they answered and ran across the lot into the building.

**-T/K-**

Back at the Command Centre, Zordon was suddenly on edge. He felt that something was amiss, and further exploration proved him right.

"ALPHA, MY SENSORS TELL ME THAT THE RANGERS WERE TOO LATE." He said to his faithful companion who was currently sitting on the floor playing with Kira. "IVAN IS ON HIS WAY HERE." Alpha looked up to Zordon and tried to reassure his old friend.

"Don't worry. Unless specifically programmed into the energy shield, nobody can enter the Command Centre without a Power Coin." An alarm went off on the control panel as if to disagree with him. Alpha jumped up and checked the system to see what the alarm was for. "Well almost nobody." He amended whirling around to the main door and seeing purple ooze seeping through the cracks.

"ALPHA, TELEPORT KIRA OUT OF HERE IMMEDIATELY." Ordered Zordon. Alpha hastened to comply, not wanting Ooze to get his hands on Kira anymore then Zordon did. Kira, and her toys, disappeared in a beam of pink and white light, reappearing seconds later at the Youth Centre; to the initial surprise of Ernie who was in the middle of closing down for the night. Eventually the Ooze stopped flowing in and instead rose upwards to take the shape of the dreaded villain.

"Hey pretty fancy." He said, taking a look around and walking towards the centre of the Chamber. "I guess if you invest your money well for six thousand millennia you can buy something pretty nice."

"Hiyah!" cried Alpha as he tried to karate chop Ooze, only to have it backfire. "Uh oh." Ooze smirked and pointed his finger at the robot, sending a blast of energy at him. "Aye yai yai, yai yai, yai yai, yai yai!" cried Alpha as his circuitry was fried.

"YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED OOZE, YOU'RE STILL PICKING ON CREATURES SMALLER THEN YOURSELF."

"Oh put a sock in it Z. Ten minutes out of the egg and I'm already listening to one of your lectures. You locked me in your stuffy hyperlock chamber and tossed me away into the depths like yesterdays trash! Do you have any idea what it's like to be locked up in a rotten egg for six million years? It's boring! Not to mention I've had a crick in my back since the renaissance."

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS OOZE."

"You robbed me of my prime! I was the supreme ruler of the most foul empire in the universe! And now, it's time to pay the piper!" Ivan fashioned an old-fashioned music pipe out of ooze and played a few notes on it; sending blasts of energy towards one of the control panels, blowing it up. "Oh the things I have missed! The black plague!" He shot another blast of energy; emphasising each disaster he'd missed with more destruction. "The Spanish Inquisition! The Holocaust!" He paused for a moment, turning back to face Zordon. "Not to mention everything else in the universe while I was confined on this retched planet!" He raised his pipe once again and this time shot it at the two power spires on either side of Zordon's energy tube. Ooze stayed long enough to bask in his victory; taking great pride in the destruction he had caused.

**-T/K-**

Back at the construction yard, the Rangers had yet to locate the Oozemen.

"This place gives me the creeps." Said Zack, referring to the pitch dark, half finished building they were currently in.

"I hear ya, Zack." Agreed Trini.

"I have a bad feeling about this place." Said Billy as the Rangers once again jumped into fighting stances, thinking they saw their enemy when it was really only their shadows.

"Anybody see anything real?" seethed Kim when they relaxed their stances.

"They've got to be around here somewhere." Said Tommy, trying to reassure his girlfriend.

"Over there!" shouted Jason, spying movement dead ahead. The Rangers turned to where he was pointing and saw it too. "Let's power up!"

"Right!"

"Here they come!" Zack cried, launching himself over the first round of attackers and landing a kick on the second. Kim took the one Zack had jumped over and launched her own series of kicks, thoroughly pissed off at them. "You guys make me sick, sick, sick!" The other Rangers were feeling the same as Kim and weren't holding back at all, giving more then they got.

"This is gonna be one messy night." Commented Trini, referring to the puddle of ooze one of the Oozemen became when she and Billy had destroyed it. Zack and Jason were squaring off against three Oozemen and decided to team up

"Up and over?" asked Jason.

"You got it!" The two flipped over the Oozemen's heads and landed kicks to their backs, sending them flying into a fence, and bursting into ooze, leaving only one.

"Double whammy?"

"You're on!" the two launched themselves at the remaining Oozeman, hitting him in the head at the same time and he too became nothing but ooze. A few yards behind them, Billy was having some trouble with two Oozemen. One of them was able to land a punch to his chest, sending him flying down a level.

"That does it! Power Lance!" Billy called on his weapon and jumped right back up there. "Did you miss me?" He brought his lance down on the Oozeman, rendering him into ooze "You Ooze, you lose." Quipped Billy as he swung his lance backwards and destroyed the second one as well. Below him, Kim was facing three of her own Oozemen and had gotten help in the form of a length of rope she was using like a whip. "Have a nice trip! See you next fall!" Kimberly joked, using the rope to trip them and then wrapping it around them, tangling them up together in the rope. "Power Bow! Bubye." Kim jumped high in the air and shot three consecutive arrows right into the Oozemen's chests. "Gotta love it." She said, holding her bow close as she fell safely to the ground. Tommy and Trini had teamed up and were fighting the last six Oozemen, though they weren't getting far with the odds being three against one.

"These guys are tough!" Trini said as she knocked one away from her only to have another one take it's place.

"Let's finish these purple parasites!" said Tommy.

"You got it!" The two of them jumped into the air, landing a level above the Oozemen. Their friends, quickly joined them, having finished off their own battles.

"I want you guys to meet Saba!" said Tommy as he pulled out his enchanted sword and threw it at them. Instead of hitting them, Saba flew around them in circles a few times, getting them a bit dizzy. He then flew up to a metal crate that was hanging over their heads by a rope and sliced through the rope, sending the crate falling down on the Oozemen's heads, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ooze.

"Yeah!" They cheered, happy to be rid of that enemy.

"Now let's go find Ivan." Said Jason. The Rangers were just about to teleport out when the unthinkable happened. They felt a power drain run through them, and even as they looked on, their Ranger suits disappeared, leaving them powerless.

"Hey, what's happening?" cried Kim.

"We're losing power." Answered Billy.

"Yeah I think we got that part Billy. But why? What's going on?"

"Alpha come in." Zack tried on the communicator. There was no answer. "Alpha, Zordon do you read me?"

"Something's wrong." Said Trini when again they got no answer.

"We better get back to the Command Centre." Said Jason. "Let's go guys." It was a long walk through Angel Grove and even longer to leave the city limits and head up into the hills. Eventually, though, they did make it and were not happy with what they saw.

"Oh no. Ooze." Said Billy, as they all stared at the ooze covering the door.

"Kira." Gasped Kim. Tommy looked just as worried and wasted no time.

"Let's get it open." He, Billy, Zack and Jason pulled on the heavy door and were able to slowly pry it open. If they thought the evidence of ooze outside was bad, it was nothing compared to the carnage inside. Kim screamed seeing the Command Centre fully destroyed, and wondering what they hell had happened to her baby.

"Look at this place." Breathed Jason.

"I can't believe it." Said Zack, just as quiet.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Trini, her voice taking on a more fierce tone.

"Kira!" cried Kim, her hands covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. Tommy was faring no better, though his anguish came out as anger and he kicked aside a piece of the rubble. The Rangers slowly entered what used to be the main chamber, not really believing what they were seeing.

"Oh, no!" Kim cried again, this time pointing straight ahead to where Zordon's energy tube used to be.

"Zordon!" They all shouted, running over to him. They were seeing their mentor outside of his time warp for the first time, and most definitely not liking how old and sickly he looked.

"What's happening to him?" demanded Trini.

"Outside of his time warp, he's dying." Answered Billy dejectedly. "He needs power."

"Rangers." Zordon breathed, turning his head ever so slightly to look at them. "Thank goodness you are safe."

"Zordon…where's Kira?" Kim asked, brokenly. The most important person in her life was missing, and another very important person was dying.

"She is safe, do not worry." Kim and Tommy breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing Zordon, even as close to death as he was, would not lie to them about their daughter's safety. Knowing she was safe, they could concentrate on finding a way to save Zordon, and also the Earth.

"Come on. We gotta get you back inside." Said Tommy.

"I'm afraid that is impossible. The Power has been destroyed." Zordon spoke in hushed breathy tones that visibly used up a lot of his energy. "It is gone. The Zords, the weapons, all of it. The Power Rangers are no more. Ivan Ooze has won."

"We're losing him." Said Billy, wishing he had a way to at least prolong Zordon's life.

"Zordon you can't leave us!" begged Kim, her already high emotions spiralling out of control. Tommy placed his arm around her offering his support. "Ever since you came into our lives you've been like a father to us all."

"You must be strong."

"Rangers…" said a small voice behind them. They turned and saw Alpha, though he was clearly not in good shape.

"Alpha!" Trini exclaimed as they ran over to him. "Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine. There may be a power that can save Zordon."

"What power?" asked Jason feeling hope for the first time all night.

"It's on the distant planet of Pheados. It's very dangerous. All who have tried for it have perished."

"Well we have to try, Alpha." Insisted Zack.

"Zordon's life force will not last long. You won't have much time."

"How can we get it?" asked Tommy.

"Maybe if I can download the very last plasmatic morphing gem into the transport core, I might have just enough power to get you there. But there won't be any left to get you back."

"So how do we get back?" asked Jason.

"We have to hope that the power is there. Zordon's life depends on it." Said Kim. Only then did the others realize that she had been with Zordon the entire time.

"Are you ready?" Alpha asked.

"Just one thing first." Said Tommy. "Zordon said Kira's safe. Where is she?"

"I teleported her to the Youth Centre, just before Ivan entered the Command Centre."

"Thanks Alpha. And yeah, we're ready." He said, looking to the others. They brooked no argument but all looked slightly more then apprehensive. "Hey, we may not have our powers anymore-"

"But we're still the Power Rangers." Jason finished, completely agreeing with him.

"Remember Rangers, Zordon doesn't have much time." Alpha punched in the code and the Rangers felt the familiar feeling of teleportation build up, but not overwhelm them. Alpha tried a second time and succeeded in teleporting them out. When they were gone, so was the last bit of the Command Centre's power, and any backup lights and residual energy vanished, plunging the Command Centre into darkness.

"Aye yai yai yai yai! Please, hold on Zordon!"

**-T/K-**

One thing to be said for teleportation was that is was incredibly fast. The intergalactic travel time from Earth to Pheados took a resounding three minutes, if that. When they arrived on Pheados, the teleportation gave way at the bottom of a seaside cliff. Water and rock; so far, Pheados was not so different from Earth. They made their way upwards, not seeing another way to go, and were near the top when they were attacked by mutant birds, sent by Ivan Ooze to stop them. Without their powers, the Rangers were in trouble until a woman with a staff that made a loud whistling sound rescued them, driving the mutant birds away. With the threat of imminent death gone, the Rangers were able to get a good look at the woman who had saved them. She has shoulder length curly blond hair and was wearing thigh high green boots and a matching two-piece outfit that although left little to the imagination, was by no means swim wear; everything about this woman screamed power.

"That was amazing. Thanks." Said Jason, holding out his hand in greeting. In response she waved her staff, knocking him away.

"If you want to thank me, go back to wherever it is you came from."

"We can't go back." Said Trini.

"We were told there was a Great Power here. Is it true?" asked Billy.

"Yes. The ground is littered with the bones of those who have tried for it and failed."

"Well we're different. We won't fail." Tommy insisted. The woman waved her staff again and he found himself flat on his back with the staff to his chest.

"Leave Pheados, before it is too late."

"Look, we don't want any trouble." Trini tried to reason. "Our leader Zordon got hurt-"

"Zordon?" she interrupted. "Did you say Zordon?"

"You know Zordon?" Trini and Kim shared a look. "Who are you?" She stared them down for a few moments, deciding if they were being truthful or not. Eventually she decided they were and stood down, allowing Tommy to get up.

"I am Dulcea, Master Warrior of the planet Pheados. What has happened to Zordon?"

"He was attacked by this cosmic being called Ivan Ooze." Said Jason.

"Ivan Ooze is free?"

"You've heard of him?"

"Ivan Ooze is a monster. If we don't hurry, your planet is doomed. Follow me." She led them the rest of the way up the cliffs and across the top until they could no longer see the ocean, but a jungle. At sunset they arrived at the highest point of the cliffs, where there were ruins of some castle or monastery, an ancient building which had once held a great power.

"What is this place?"

"These are the ancient ruins of the Ninjetti Temple." She led them across the plateau to where the jungle was clearly visible. "There, beyond the Neola Jungle is the Monolith. Inside awaits the power of the universe. The Monolith is heavily guarded against intruders; no one has ever survived an attempt to reach it."

"Then how can we?" asked Zack.

"You were chosen by Zordon. I have faith in his wisdom."

"Can you help us?" Tommy practically begged.

"We shall call upon the Sacred Animals of the Ninjetti for help."

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**A/N - And there's part one! Didn't make too many changes, obviously had to incorporate Kira, kept it a bit more canon with the Power Lance and Power Bow instead of the movie-only weapons, and made Zordon older than he probably was. It was six thousand years in the movie, I'm making it six million. Ties in a bit better with him being ancient, as well as my version of who and what the Ninjetti are, which is coming up in the next chapter.**

**Another thing about the next chapter: major plot developments will happen! So read carefully and let me know if you're confused. These are plot developments that become a driving force for the rest of this fic and even more so for the sequel.**

**Actually the next chapter basically gives you the main plot for the sequel. I don't feel this is spoilers as I believe it will be incredibly obvious once you read it, though maybe that's just me.**

**Review please!**


	17. Ninjetti

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Ninjetti**

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"We shall call upon the Sacred Animals of the Ninjetti for help." A fire was built in the middle of the plateau, and Dulcea had the Rangers gather in a semi-circle around it. In what appeared to be a stone basin, she ground some plants and small stones into a fine powder. She took the powder into her hands and came to stand before the Rangers on the other side of the fire.

"Buried deep within each of us is an Animal Spirit waiting to be released. Close your eyes and look deep inside" When the Rangers did as she bid, she blew the powder over the fire; the flames flared up, sending magic and power combined swirling all around them. The Rangers felt something deep inside them, a budding power that at their bidding grew stronger before it burst through them, the cries of their Animal Spirits mixing in the air. When they opened their eyes it was to see that they were no longer dressed in their street clothes, but in robes the same colour as their Ranger colours with a golden crest depicting their Animal Spirit, shinning in the middle of their chests. Dulcea smiled seeing that they had indeed been able to find their Animal Spirits. Few knew they had Animal Spirits within them and fewer still could release them. She picked up her staff and walked around the fire to stand in front of Trini.

"Trini, you are the Bear, fierce and unstoppable." She moved on to Jason, going from Ranger to Ranger down the line.

"Jason, powerful and smart, you are the Ape."

"Billy, you are the Wolf, cunning and stealthy."

"Agile Kimberly, you are the Crane. The Winged Lady of the Skies."

"Zack? Zack what's wrong?"

"I'm a Frog." He replied sullenly.

"Yes a Frog. Perhaps small in size, but courageous and clever within." That earned her a smile as Zack perked up.

"And you Tommy are the Falcon, The Winged Lord of the Skies." She cut off at the end and her calm, collected demeanour changed to one of shock and worry.

"Dulcea what is it?" Tommy asked. She did not answer him but looked between him and Kimberly.

"The Winged Lord and Lady…" She mumbled. "Impossible."

"Dulcea you're starting to scare us." She looked to them in turn, before sighing and beginning her story.

"The Ninjetti are an ancient order of warriors sworn to protect the light. We have been around since the very beginning; when the universe first came into existence. I am sure it comes as no surprise that humans are not the only intelligent beings in the universe, nor that Earth is not the only planet where humans reside." The Rangers didn't falter, confirming that they already knew, or at least suspected as much. "The Ninjetti was once a civilization of it's own; comprised of beings from nearly all intelligent species in the universe. We were spread far and wide, going wherever we were needed. Pheados, while not our native planet, became our home. These ruins that surround you were once the Sacred Ninjetti Temple. It once held the Great Power that you seek and always must it be guarded." She paused and sighed again. The Rangers noted that she had said 'we'. They wondered if she was an ancient being like Zordon. "Eons ago, the darkness spread farther and faster then we could fight it. The evil beings knew that to gain power and keep it, they had to destroy those who would oppose them; and so the Ninjetti were hunted down and killed, until only seven remained. Everything was destroyed; the Ninjetti, Pheados, the Sacred Temple, all of it gone. The seven who remained knew that the evil forces could not get their hands on the Great Power, the Power of the Ninjetti, for if they did, all would be lost. They moved the power from the Temple to the Monolith shortly before the Temple was destroyed. They created obstacles and guards to protect the power, and to this day none have reached it. The Temple's High Priestess, who had guarded the Temple from the beginning, was one of the seven who lived. The Great Power must always have a guardian and so she remained on Pheados when the others went to fight."

"And that High Priestess, is you, right Dulcea?" Kim asked.

"Yes, my Crane, it is indeed I. Like Zordon, I am an ancient being, sworn to forever guard a great power. And like he is trapped in his time warp, so too am I. I cannot leave Pheados, nor can I step beyond this plateau, towards the jungle. If I did I would begin to age as rapidly as Zordon is now. I am all that remains of the Ninjetti; never in the millions of years since they were wiped out has anyone joined our order, until you." She paused to allow them time to take in everything she had said. And also to collect herself as all those memories flooded her mind. "The six Ancient Warriors who left Pheados to fight, knew that to quell the evil forces they would need to call upon all the power of their Animal Spirits. They were able to stop the darkness but at the cost of their own lives. However when they died, their power did not. It returned here, to Pheados, and joined with the Great Power inside the Monolith. Their Animal Spirits, the Sacred Animals, help guard the Great Power from those who are unworthy, who would use it for evil purposes."

"That's some history." Muttered Billy.

"There's more." Replied Dulcea, ready to impart her deepest secret. "The Sacred Animals are the Bear, the Ape, the Frog, the Wolf, the Crane and the Falcon."

"Wait, our Animal Spirits are the same as the Sacred Animals?" asked Jason.

"Yes. That alone is not what worries me. You see, there are those of us who were gifted with abilities beyond the others. There was one of us, long ago, no one knows exactly when, that was a prophet."

"A prophet? What's that?" asked Zack.

"A prophet is someone with the ability to see the future." Answered Billy.

"And has the ability to make prophecies." Added Dulcea. "And that is exactly what happened. A prophecy concerning the Ninjetti, that spoke of the Sacred Animals long before there were Sacred Animals. What worries me, is that as you have the Spirits of the Sacred Animals, the prophecy is coming true."

"So it's not a good prophecy." Surmised Trini.

"There are many prophecies in the universe, my Bear. Most of them go unheard and more still never come true. The future is always changing, as people have the ability of choice. A prophecy could be nullified by one decision someone makes. The Ninjetti prophecy, however, is different then the others. As the Ninjetti are powerful, so too is the prophecy. There is ancient power attached to it, and so perhaps The Power is working to ensure this prophecy comes true."  
"What is this prophecy, Dulcea? What is it about?" Tommy asked. Once again, Dulcea sighed but she wasn't going to keep it from them.

"I must ask that you do not speak of it to anyone who does not know of it. Zordon does, so you need not worry about keeping it from him, or his faithful companion Alpha 5. However, the prophecy is the most closely guarded secret of the Ninjetti for the reason that there are two possible outcomes. Should evil forces hear of it, they may be able to manipulate things to achieve the outcome they desire."

"And there is no way we're letting that happen." Agreed Tommy. Dulcea looked to each of them, seeing the set jaws and determined eyes she had seen so often on her friends the Ancient Warriors. And just like them, those eyes spoke of wisdom and knowledge far beyond their years; however, unlike the people of Earth, Dulcea did not judge based on their age for she was from a time when physical age meant next to nothing when compared to a person's abilities and wisdom. Bringing herself back to the present, Dulcea spoke the words she had never, and thought she would never, say aloud

" '_When the Sacred Animals are reborn, to the Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies comes The Child of Power. Conceived of pain and born of love, The Child will have Power unknown, unforeseen, and unbeatable. The Child will be bound to another as the Lady is to her Lord; both bearing the mark of their love and master. If the bond prevails, with a heart of Light, The Child will be the saviour. However, should it fail, with a heart of Darkness, The Child will bring forth the silence, destructor to everything around.' _"

"So what exactly does that mean?" asked Trini, after a few moments where they had allowed her words to sink in.

"I am not entirely sure." Replied Dulcea. "There are parts that are straightforward: _'When the Sacred Animals are reborn, to the Winged Lord and Lady of the Sky comes The Child of Power.' 'The Child will have Power unknown, unforeseen, and unbeatable.' 'with a heart of Light The Child will be the saviour.' 'With a heart of Darkness The Child will bring forth the silence, destructor to everything around.' _You are the ones bearing the spirits of the Sacred Animals, they are reborn in you." She turned to Kimberly and Tommy. "And so, to the Winged Lord and Lady, the Falcon and Crane, to you, Tommy and Kimberly, will come a child of great power. This child will either bring peace to the universe, or destroy it." Kim and Tommy froze hearing this. Tommy's hands clenched into fists and tears came to both their eyes. Hearing that their child would have a great power, and thus be forced into their world and ultimately be a target for all evil beings, did not sit well with them.

"My baby." Murmured Kim. Tommy pulled her to him, both drawing comfort from the other. Dulcea looked on in confusion and then ultimately surprise.

"You already have a child." She asked, more as a statement. They simply nodded. "Well then it indeed appears that the prophecy is coming true. Though I admit, I am not sure what the rest of it means."

"I think we know." Jason spat out, he and the others not liking Kira's fate anymore then her parents did. "It's a long story and we don't have time for it now so here's the gist of it: '_Conceived of pain and born of love,' _Kim got pregnant when Tommy raped her."

"It wasn't his fault though. Rita had turned him evil." Trini made sure to say.

"Rita? Rita Repulsa?" asked Dulcea to which the Rangers nodded. "You are indeed dealing with monsters of great power."

"Yeah you're telling us." Muttered Zack. Jason continued.

" '_The Child will be bound to another as the Lady is to her Lord; both bearing the mark of their love and master.' _When he was evil, Tommy placed a spell on Kim that bound her to him. He also marked her. When Rita's spell broke and he was good again, the spell on Kim didn't break. Zordon said it was because the source of power Tommy used to cast the spell wasn't Rita's magic. It's complicated and I can't really explain it better with the time we do not have."

"So if the prophecy is to be believed, their daughter, Kira, will be bound to someone the same way Kim is to Tommy. She'll never be able to leave him, can never disobey him or act against him, and he will mark her…I am not liking this outcome." Said Billy.

"None of us are." said Trini. "But we're forgetting one thing. The spell on Kim settled down into more of a mutual bond then…well…slavery. And they love each other; that's part of the prophecy too. '_both bearing the mark of their_ **love**_ and master.'_ Whoever this guy is, he might be able to control Kira like Tommy can control Kim, but he will love her, they will love each other. That's the last part of the prophecy '_If the bond prevails, with a heart of Light The Child will be the saviour.' _If the bond prevails, if their love prevails. I know we don't like it, especially right now when she's not even a year old, but someday she's going to have someone who loves her as much as Tommy loves Kimberly."  
"Either that or the prophecy doesn't come true and she's not this Child of Power." Finished Zack. "Alright, now that we've got that sorted, let's go find this Great Power. Earth, Zordon, Kira; they're all counting on us."

"Right!" they all said. Dulcea smiled at them, seeing that even news such as this would not stop them.

"To be in harmony with the Sacred Animals is to have the full force of the Ninjetti." She said, leading them to the far side overlooking the jungle. "Remember; to those who are Ninjetti, anything is possible. The strength is inside you. Trust it! The Sacred Animals will be your guide." She looked to each one of them, knowing she had to say goodbye. "May your Animal Spirits watch over you." She said in farewell. The Rangers watched as she allowed the Power of the Ninjetti to wash over her. In a shimmering blue light, Dulcea disappeared, and in her place was a small white Owl.

**-T/K-**

The Rangers waited until sunrise before they began their journey towards the Monolith. Dulcea had not re-appeared at all during the night, however the small white Owl sat atop a pillar as they departed, and they knew she would be with them in spirit. They walked for most of the day without coming across any of the obstacles Dulcea had told them about, though they did pass the many bones of those who had tried and failed. Most of the remains were not human, and some of them were huge and looked like they belonged to what the humans of Earth would call mythical creatures. It reminded them that the universe was vast and made them wonder what some of these creatures were, where they were from, and what they were like. In the middle of the afternoon, the Rangers came across the bones of many creatures that reminded them of dinosaurs.

"What is this place?" asked Trini.

"Looks like some kind of graveyard." Observed Billy.

"I wonder what happened to them all." Said Kim.

"Personally, I'd rather not find out." Zack retorted. "Welcome to Jurassic Park."

"Very funny Zack." The Rangers looked around cautiously, wondering if whatever killed them was still around. Suddenly, Billy was thrown backwards as one of the dinosaurs came to life. They fell automatically into fighting stances but didn't launch an attack, wondering how they could destroy something that was already dead. Their hesitation gave the dinosaur time to charge at them. They scattered and it followed Trini, trapping her.

"Trini get out of there!" Jason yelled as he ran at the dinosaur, hitting it with a large rock. The dinosaur didn't even flinch and swung its tail, knocking him back.

"Jason!" screamed Kim. Her scream was enough to distract it long enough for Trini to scramble away. Noticing its prey was gone, the dinosaur turned its attention to Kimberly. "Get away from me!" The dinosaur chased her down until she ran underneath a ribcage and she too became trapped. With nowhere to go and no room to fight, Kim's only option was to kick at its face as it tried to bite her in half, and call for help. "Tommy! Tommy!"

"Hang on!" Tommy frantically looked around for something to hit it with and settled on a thick stick lying three feet away. He grabbed it and ran to Kimberly's aide, hitting the dinosaur over the head as Kim continued kicking it's face.

"Alright bone head." Tommy's blows had no effect other then to redirect it's attention. Tommy ran as it chased him and headed straight for a tree where the bottom had been rounded out into a nice curve that allowed him to run up the side and back flip onto the dinosaur. It thrashed around like a bull, trying to dispel the unwanted rider. Luckily for Tommy, as the dinosaur was all bone and no flesh, he was able to wrap his arms around one of its ribs and hang on.

"Tommy hang on!" cried Jason, rushing to his friend's aid. The others joined him but they found that they couldn't get near it as it was thrashing around or they would be trampled. "Dammit! We can't get near it!"

"Tommy!" called Billy. "Look for the occipital bone and cervical vertebrae junction!"

"The what?!"

"The neck! There's a bone that connects its head to it's body! If you remove it it'll sever the head and might be enough to stop whatever is possessing it!"

"Uh, right." Tommy pulled himself up so he could get a good look at the bones around its neck. There were quite a few of them, but he recognized one and grasped onto it.

"Yo Fossil Head! I got a bone to pick with you!" He pulled hard and the bone came free and the head fell away. Without its head, the rest of the body fell to the ground as well, taking Tommy with it.

"Are you ok?" cried Kim as she rushed to him, helping him up.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Looks like biology finally paid off. Of the many neck bones you got the right one on the first try." Said Billy, proudly.

"Maybe we should get out of here before it decides to pull itself together or something." Suggested Jason. The others readily agreed and so their journey continued. It was nearing sunset when they finally reached what could only be the Monolith. It was in a clearing with a cliff before them, jungle to the right and a large pond and waterfall to the left. There were three steps leading up to the cliff before them, where what looked like a door carved into the rock. The door itself was carved with markings of various animals, with the Sacred Animals carved in the middle, and was surrounded on either side by four stone gargoyles that glared ominously down at them.

"Incredible." The Rangers stopped a good fifty feet away, not knowing what traps would be set around it, but knowing there had to be something. After a visual scan revealed nothing, Tommy stepped forward, intent on being the one to go first when they found out just what they had to face.

"Let's go guys. Nice and easy." They approached the Monolith, coming to stand before the door at the bottom of the steps and nothing happened.

"What do you think?" Zack asked.

"Wait here." Said Jason as he and Tommy walked up the steps to the door. "I don't like this. It's too easy." He muttered when they reached the door and still nothing happened. He and Tommy touched the door, pushing on it, trying to see how it opened. It didn't budge and after using all their strength with no result, they turned back around knowing they had to find another way in.

"Tommy! Jason!" cried Kim, pointing behind them. The gargoyles, which moments ago were unyielding stone, were now coming to life and jumping down from their resting places. Tommy and Jason leaped away as they all took fighting stances.

"What now?" Trini asked.

"Ninjetti! The Falcon!"

"The Frog!"

"The Ape!"

"The Crane!"

"The Wolf!"

"The Bear!"

The four gargoyles launched on the attack and the Rangers were immediately on the defensive. Jason and Zack were pushed up the side of the cliff, their kicks and punches having no effect on the stone gargoyle. Jason fell over the side and grabbed on to a root, the gargoyle forgot about Zack and came to try and knock Jason loose. Zack took the opportunity and climbed up just above the gargoyle, letting lose a battle cry he jumped down and landing a two foot kick to it's chest; the force behind it enough to knock it over the side and into the water below.

"Thanks Zack." Said Jason as the Frog helped him up. "That's one down and three to go."

"Somebody help!" Jason and Zack turned their gaze to the ground where Trini was cornered. Jason didn't hesitate and jumped down, coming to her rescue. He jump kicked the gargoyle in the back; gaining his attention as well as the axe it carried being swung toward him.

"Let's talk about this! Guess not." He said as he dodged another axe swing; flipping away as it gave chase. Like Jason and Zack, Kimberly was chased up the side of the cliff, dodging attack after attack. Nearly halfway up, she came across a boulder that was sitting precariously on the edge. With a little push it would roll down the cliff, taking the gargoyle with it. Problem was, pushing a large boulder bigger then she was required strength, which the Crane alone did not have.

"Hang on Kimberly!" cried Tommy from a tree branch across from where she stood. He had a gargoyle trying to chop down the tree he was in, but feeling her fear, he did not hesitate to grab a vine and swing over to her side. He kicked the gargoyle away from her, knocking it down and giving them time to loose the boulder.

"They're strong but not smart." He said, indicating to the gargoyle that was still trying to chop down the tree though Tommy was no longer there.

"Right." They grabbed a branch and used it as a lever, prying the boulder upward enough to make it roll. It hit the gargoyle right in the chest and knocked it down the cliff, the boulder coming to rest on top of it. Across from them, the gargoyle had finally noticed that its prey was no longer in the tree and so turned its attention to Zack who was trying to sneak up behind it.

"Woah!" He jumped back, dodging the axe and then found himself continuing to dodge, looking for an opening but not finding one. He turned around to run, hoping distance would give him opportunity, however, he was met by the gargoyle Jason had evaded.

"What is this, pick on the Frog day?" he complained, now dodging two gargoyles. Luckily for him, they were the last two so his friends were all coming to help him. Above him, Billy stood on a tree branch, a vine in his hand.

"Hey Zack, could you use a hand?"

"The thought had crossed my mind." Billy threw him the vine and Zack grabbed on as Billy jumped down causing Zack to be lifted into the air.

"Elevator going up!" joked Zack, glad to see he had just missed an axe swing that would have been fatal. The other gargoyle, on the other hand, was not so lucky and got sliced in two.

"Elevator going down!" Billy landed right where the sliced gargoyle was had to dodge a second swing, but without a second one to evade, Billy was easily able to back flip out of there. Jason cartwheeled over and had to jump up into the splits, supporting himself against two rocks as the remaining gargoyle grabbed his fallen companions weapon and flung it at the Ape.

"Woah! That was close!" Trini and Zack came over to help him, keeping the gargoyle busy, as Tommy, Billy and Kimberly each climbed a tree and grabbed onto a vine.

"Alright. Ready?" asked Tommy. "Go!" The three of them jumped down, swinging on the vines toward the gargoyle, Trini, Zack and Jason moved out of the way as their friends hit the gargoyle at the same time, their combined strength sending it flying towards the cliff; hitting it and crumbling into tiny pieces.

"Yes!" they shouted as one, happy to have that obstacle out of the way. Suddenly the ground began to shake, and the sky grew dark.

"What now?" moaned Trini. Just as suddenly the shaking stopped and a bright light appeared behind the door to the Monolith, seeping through the cracks. The Door began to rise slowly, the light nearly blinding them. A stone monument stood inside the door, covered in carvings of animals; many of which they recognized, some of which they didn't. In the centre, like with the outside of the door were the Sacred Animals. This time, however, they were depicted in a golden tablet, attached to the monument.

"The Great Power."

"The Sacred Animals."

Before their eyes, the tablet began to glow, emitting copious amounts of energy as the Sacred Animals came to life and flew out of the tablet. They circled the monument before going over to the Rangers, circling around their respective partner. With a shrill cry, roar, howl or ribbit the Spirits dove into the Rangers' crests, giving them their power. The Rangers felt the familiar power of morphing over take them as they regained their powers.

"We did it!"

"Our Morphers are online!"

"We got the power!"

"Alright!"

"Hang on Zordon, we're on our way!"

"Let's do it!"

The Rangers teleported out of Pheados, heading back to Earth and hoping they weren't too late. They landed in the middle of Angel Grove and were caught off guard by the carnage that greeted them. They thought they had only been gone a day, two at the most, if that was true, then Ivan Ooze had been on a rampage since they left. Seconds after they arrived, two Ectomorphicons, or ugly Zords, arrived. The Rangers called on their new Ninjazords and were able to destroy the first one before Ivan himself made his move. He joined with his remaining Ectomorphicon to create one big even uglier Zord. Tthe Rangers answered his challenge by forming the Ninja Megazord. However, before Tommy could join his Zord with the others, he and Kim felt a jolt of fear go through them. Not knowing how they knew, but knowing what it was, they reacted instinctively.

"Tommy, Kira's in trouble!" cried Kim, cursing the fact that her Zord had completed the docking sequence.

"I know! I'm going to help her! I'll complete docking sequence later." He flew his Zord off towards where he knew his daughter to be. He was surprised to see that she was on a monorail with Bulk and Skull instead of with Ernie at the Youth Centre.

"Tommy where is she?! What's going on?" screamed Kim.

"She's on the monorail, with Bulk and Skull."

"You mean the monorail who's track Ooze just destroyed!?" Kim was now hysterical and was preparing to un-dock her Zord and fly over there to save her baby.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I've got it."

"Don't worry?! My baby is in danger and you're telling me not to worry?!"

"Ok fine, worry, but I've still got this."

"You better." Nearly a minute of silence passed as Kim and the others waited for word from Tommy. That minute was the longest minute of Kim's life and she had her finger over the button that would un-dock her Zord when Tommy finally came on the comm.

"She's ok! They're all ok, the monorail's safe and I'm coming in." Relief washed over her and she released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. They felt the Megazord jolt forward as Tommy's Flaconzord attached itself to their back.

"Ninja Falcon Megazord!" Tommy cried as he appeared in the cockpit. "Alright guys, let's get Ooze out of here before he destroys everything."

"I'll set a course for outer space." Said Billy as he punched a few controls.

"Good idea! Let's do it!" With the Falconzord as its wings, the Megazord flew up and left Earth, with Ooze hot on their heals. After a short battle, the Rangers got Ooze in the line of Ryan's Comet. They got away just in time and the comet hit Ooze, destroying him once and for all. Their task complete, the Rangers headed back to Earth. Kim and Tommy looked inside them, to this new link they had with Kira, and felt that she was safe. Knowing they'd feel it if she was in danger, the Rangers headed to the Command Centre.

"Alpha!" cried Trini as they teleported in and rushed to Alpha who was by Zordon's side.

"Rangers, you made it! But I'm afraid you're too late."

"Too late?" The Rangers felt their hearts breaking, seeing Zordon lying there, motionless, outside his time warp.

"This can't be happening." They all looked to the man who was a father to them and saw their memories of him flashing before their eyes. After a few moments, one of them seemed to remember that they were Power Rangers.

"Remember what Dulcea said?" asked Tommy. "To those who are Ninjetti, anything is possible. Come on." The Rangers formed a circle around Zordon and connected their hands. They closed their eyes and looked deep inside, as Dulcea had told them, tapping into the Ninjetti Power. They felt their Animal Spirits rise up and burst forth in a show of energy, coming together in a circle over Zordon. The Spirits let loose a cry and an orb of golden power erupted from the middle of their circle, encompassing Zordon and the entire Command Centre. The control panels and Viewing Globe repaired themselves, and Zordon drew a breath as his energy tube began to regenerate. Once everything was back in place, and Zordon was once again a floating head, the Animal Spirits returned to their partners and the power disappeared.

"Zordon!" the Rangers cried.

"He's alive! He's alive!" cried Alpha.

"RANGERS!"

"We thought that you had…" Kim didn't finish her sentence, too choked up.

"IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO." After spending a bit of time with Zordon, more to assure themselves that he was alright then anything else, the Rangers left for the Youth Centre; Tommy and Kim anxious to get back to Kira. It was morning in Angel Grove when the teens left the Command Centre. Along the way, they noticed that the destruction Ooze had caused was fixed. The Great Power was most definitely great. Ernie welcomed them with open arms, his show of affection his way of giving thanks for their actions as Rangers. Tommy and Kim paused only long enough to say hello before they ran over to where Bulk and Skull were sitting with their daughter. Kim reached her first, having used her short stature to duck under Tommy's arms, and snatched Kira right out of Skull's lap.

"Hey sweetie. Mummy's here." She cooed, holding her daughter close and kissing her head. Tommy wrapped his arms around his girls, knowing Kim wouldn't be letting go of Kira for awhile, and the three sat down across from Bulk and Skull and lavished attention on their daughter; completely oblivious to anyone else. They had come too close to losing Kira today, and they most definitely didn't want to repeat that experience.

**-T/K-**

Later that night, Ernie was hosting a party at the Youth Centre in celebration of the Power Rangers. Unknown to anyone but him, the Rangers themselves were happily eating a meal of burgers and fries on the back patio, over looking the lake. Tommy had Kira in his lap, the first time he'd held her all day, and was feeding her bits of food. Their meal was interrupted, however, with the start of the fireworks the city had planned. The Rangers all got up and went over to the rail to get a better look. Tommy stood Kira on the rail with his arms wrapped around her and Kim ducked under Tommy's arms so that she was standing between them; Tommy having his arms wrapped around both of them. Kim bent her head back to look up at Tommy and the two shared a smile. It was moments like these that they lived for. They had each other, their daughter, their friends, Zordon was alright and the world was safe. All was right in their world as well as the world of those from Angel Grove. The two shared a kiss as the fireworks lit up the sky

'_Thank You Power Rangers!"_

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**A/N - Just cause I'm in such a good mood right now you got the next chapter a few days earlier then expected!**

**I hope everything makes sense, as I said, major plot developments in this chapter so its important that I actually explained things clearly. Let me know if I didn't or if you have any questions.**

**Review please!**


	18. Ruminations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 18 – Ruminations **

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Ivan had caused more destruction in just over a day than Rita and Zedd ever had but the Great Power had returned all to normal, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the citizens of Angel Grove. Though they did not know exactly what had saved their city from rubble, they knew it was because of the Power Rangers and so and the city had declared a week long celebration for the Ranger's victory. Though unbeknownst to the city of Angel Grove, the heroes themselves were far from being in a celebratory mood. With the elation of Ooze's destruction and Zordon's return to life gone, they were able to focus on what Dulcea had told them. Everything had changed and all of them knew things would never be the same again. While the city celebrated, the Rangers gathered in the park to discuss this latest turn of events in their already messed up lives. Kira, who was the main topic of their discussion, found herself passed between her parents and aunt and uncles as they all wondered just how this little baby could potentially be the most powerful person in the universe, and what this meant for her future.

"She's already such a target." Kim whispered, her eyes tearing up in contradiction to her belief that she had cried herself out. "What are Rita and Zedd gonna do when they find out?"

"If they find out." Jason said. "The prophecy's been kept secret for millions of years. Besides Dulcea and Zordon, we're the only other ones who know it and I highly doubt this is something we'll be screaming from the top of the Youth Centre."

"Ok, so if they find out." Kim conceded. "But still…"

"We're all worried, Kim." Tommy assured her, wrapping an arm around her as they watched Kira toddle around the circle the Rangers had formed on the grass.

"So what do we do?" asked Zack. "Do we go on like nothing's happened? Can we?"

"We have to, Zack." Said Billy. "We may not scream the prophecy from the top of the Youth Centre, but Rita and Zedd will know something's up if we suddenly start acting differently. Besides, Dulcea said prophecies were nullified everyday by the choices someone makes. Kira may not be this Child of Power."

"You don't believe that." Trini cut in. "None of us do. We all know deep down that Dulcea is right, that The Power is working, and has been working for millions of years, to ensure this prophecy comes true, no matter which outcome comes true. I think the sooner we all accept that, the sooner we can figure out what exactly we're going to do about it."

"But what can we do?" asked Jason. "The prophecy said a Child of Power would be born to the Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies, that's already happened. But then it says nothing about her life until she's bonded to someone else, and then she'll either save or destroy the universe. Until we know who this guy is whom she's going to be bonded to, I don't think there is anything we can do. And frankly, given that the prophecy specifically said she'd be bound to him the same way Kim is to Tommy, I'd kill the guy if it happens anytime in the next sixteen or so years."

"Oh you'd have to get in line." Snarled Tommy, unhappy that that image had been planted in his mind. "As her father I get dibs." Jason opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Kim.

"No one is going to kill anyone!" she snapped. "Chances are we won't be able to stop the bonding from happening, no matter when it happens, and then her life will be tied to his; kill him, you kill her. Besides, the prophecy said _'The Child will be bound to another, as the Lady is to her Lord' _not bound in the _same manner_. If we take it literally they'll have a bond like the one Tommy and I do, not him being evil and her being kidnapped and raped." As if the Rangers needed any more confirmation that Kim was completely freaking out, her crass reference to her time on the Moon cemented it.

"So what do we do?" Jason asked a few moments later.

"We do nothing." Said Tommy, surprising even himself with his calm, collected sureness. "We can't let Rita and Zedd find out, and until the time comes when it becomes clear there _is _something we can do, there is nothing we _can_ do. So we do nothing but go on with our normal lives." This proved a lot easier said then done. Over the next couple weeks everyone was clearly tense, waiting for something to happen and watching Kira like a hawk. Everyone from Ernie to their parents, even Bulk and Skull, knew something was up, but after the first couple days it was obvious that they would never find out exactly what it was. Finally, after nearly three weeks of sleepless nights, breakdowns, and missed battles because they would not leave their daughter alone, Tommy and Kim went to Zordon for guidance.

"I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO." Came the expected reply. "YOU ARE POWER RANGERS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU ARE PARENTS, KIRA MUST COME FIRST."

"But that's just it." Tommy said as he shifted Kira from one arm to the other. "Getting on with our normal lives, being Rangers, not letting Rita and Zedd win, not letting them know something's wrong, that's all in Kira's best interests, but we can't. We can't just forget that the fate of the universe rests on our baby's shoulders, can't just forget our daughter will be bound to someone; even if that someone will love her, he'll still be her…_master. _She's not even a year old and her future's set out for her." Tommy held Kira a little closer, though the baby remained entirely ignorant to her parents' turmoil.

"How do we get over this, Zordon?" Kim asked, her eyes never leaving her daughter. "How can we just go about our normal lives, pretending nothing's wrong, when our eleven month old daughter's life is no longer her own?"

"I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL EVER GET OVER." Zordon paused, unsure exactly what he was going to say next. "I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW. I MYSELF HAVE NEVER BEEN A PARENT, THOUGH I LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU, AND THE OTHER RANGERS, ARE IN A WAY, MY CHILDREN."

"No thinking involved there." Kim assured him, finally turning to face him. Although dealing with the mighty chaos their trip to Pheados had brought, Kim was still coherent enough to sense Zordon's hesitation and uncertainty. "I meant what I said three weeks ago, you have been like a father to us since the moment you gave us our Power Coins." With a small smile, Zordon continued.

"IN THE BEGINNING, MY THOUGHTS WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY ON STOPPING RITA'S CONQUEST OF EARTH; I CHOSE THE BEST CANDIDATES TO BECOME POWER RANGERS WITHOUT THINKING TOO MUCH ON THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON YOUR LIVES. THEN I GOT TO KNOW YOU, KNOW THE KIND, LOVING, COURAGEOUS PEOPLE YOU ARE AND I BEGAN TO QUESTION WHETHER STOPPING RITA WAS WORTH THE DAMAGE TO YOUR LIVES."

"Of course it's worth it, Zordon." Said Tommy. "We can't just let Rita and Zedd destroy our planet, no matter what happens to us."

"AND IT IS THE FACT THAT THAT KIND OF THINKING COMES FROM YOU THAT I MUST HOLD ON TO. YOU HAVE ADAPTED TO WHAT HAS BEEN THROWN YOUR WAY AND HAVE CHOSEN TO FIGHT, TO SEE THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU AND CHOOSE THE ONE YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT."

"But Kira's a baby. She can't make that decision." Said Kim.

"NOT AT PRESENT, NO. BUT IT IS MY BELIEF THAT BY THE TIME A CHOICE NEEDS TO BE MADE, KIRA WILL BE OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT. THE PROPHECY STATES THAT THE SAFETY OR DESTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE IS DEPENDANT ON THE BOND KIRA WILL HAVE, AND THAT THAT BOND WILL BE SIMILAR TO YOURS, IMPLYING THAT SHE WILL BE OF AN AGE WHERE SHE CAN HAVE A BOND LIKE YOURS, WHICH, AS A BABY AND YOUNG CHILD, IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY."

"So you think she'll at least be our age by then?" asked Tommy.

"PERHAPS, PERHAPS NOT. PHYSICAL AGE MEANS NEXT TO NOTHING TO THE POWER, IT'S SIGNIFICANCE GOING ONLY SO FAR SO THAT THE PERSON IN QUESTION HAS DEVELOPED ENOUGH MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY TO HANDLE WHATEVER THEIR FATE MAY BE. BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN CANNOT DO SO, BUT OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS ARE A DIFFERENT MATTER."

"And what exactly is your definition of an older child?" Kim asked hesitantly, wishing, for the first time, that Zordon was from their time and his perception of age was more alongside theirs.

"I ONCE MET AN EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO HAD BEEN GIFTED WITH GREAT POWER AND LED HIS PEOPLE WITH WISDOM I HAD NEVER SEEN IN ONE SO YOUNG."

"Eight…" sighed Kim.

"THAT IS CONSIDERED YOUNG, EVEN FOR ONE AS OLD AS I. BUT EVERY RACE, EVERY CULTURE FROM EVERY PLACE AND TIME IS DIFFERENT. WITHIN PRESENT DAY EARTH ALONE, THERE ARE CULTURES THAT DO NOT SET NEARLY AS MUCH STORE IN PHYSICAL AGE AS AMERICAN'S AND OTHER EUROPEAN CULTURES."

"So what you're saying is that The Power surrounding the prophecy may take into consideration the culture Kira grows up in and her own perceptions of one her age."

"PRECISELY, THOUGH I WILL CAUTION THAT IT ALSO MAY NOT. AS DULCEA RIGHTLY STATED, THE FUTURE IS ALWAYS CHANGING. SOMETHING MAY CHANGE TO CAUSE KIRA TO BE BONDED AT AN EARLIER AGE. THOUGH IF THIS IS THE CASE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE IN THAT INSTANCE THAT HER CHOICE MUST BE MADE. IF SHE IS BONDED EARLY, I BELIEVE SHE WILL HAVE TIME TO GROW, AND FOR THE BOND TO GROW, BEFORE SHE MUST DECIDE IF IT WILL PREVAIL OR NOT."

"Well, your beliefs have never led us wrong so far, so here's hoping." Muttered Tommy.

"So what do we do now?" Kim asked. "We kind of got off track there."

"AND SO WE HAVE. THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS MET EVERY CHALLENGE THAT HAS COME YOUR WAY, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS UNFORTUNATELY BEEN THROWN AT YOU. YOU HAVE ADAPTED IN THE PAST, AND YOU CAN DO SO NOW. KIRA HAS A CHANCE THAT YOU WERE NOT AFFORDED. THIS WORLD AND THE LIFE OF A POWER RANGER WAS THRUST UPON YOU WITH NO WARNING. BUT-"

"But we have warning with Kira." Finished Kim. "And like we've been saying from the beginning we can't change this, we just have to accept it. This is going to be Kira's life whether we like it or not, and now we need to make it the best life we can."

"And we can prepare her for what's coming." Added Tommy. "We may not be able to change her destiny, but we can prepare her for it and make sure she knows she always has a choice, and whatever her choice is we will always love her, and never resent her, even if it is a momentous choice where we would have chosen differently." Zordon said nothing but smiled down upon them as they finally made peace with what life had thrown at them and their daughter, and prepared to move forwards.

**-T/K-**

After their discussion with Zordon, Tommy and Kim had a long talk with their friends, sharing everything they had thought of and their new outlook on the whole situation. Understandably, no one thought a new outlook would change things over night, but more that it would start to get better, and they'd start to get on with their lives, which they did. Another couple weeks passed, though they passed by faster and better than before, and also brought with it the next big event: Kira's first birthday.

"So what are we going to do?" asked an excited Jason as he bounded into a seat at their favourite table at the Youth Centre.

"Easy, Jase." Kim laughed.

"So what are we going to do?" he asked again half a second later.

"We were thinking a small gathering here at the Youth Centre." Said Tommy. "She's too young to really know what's going on, but she won't really care given all the attention she'll be getting." No one denied this claim; Kira loved attention. "We weren't thinking big, just you guys, our families, Ernie, and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but we think Bulk and Skull should be invited." While this was something the Rangers had never anticipated ever being said amongst them, they could not deny the truth of it. Bulk and Skull had drastically changed from the bullies they had been in freshman year. Not only had they stopped bullying, but now, with junior year just about to start, the two had made it their mission to protect the people of Angel Grove and had enlisted in the Junior Police Patrol. It was a shock for the Rangers to come out of the stupor that Ivan Ooze and Kira's already decided destiny had put them in, only to discover that the two were now Junior Policemen. They had completely missed that transition, and it was a shock to their system when they found out. But, although they were still more or less bumbling idiots, they were certainly trying, and in some aspects, even succeeding. With a shaky nod of his head, Jason conceded, his shock returning with the thoughts of Bulk and Skull's transformation.

"Have you talked to Ernie yet?" Trini asked.

"Not yet." Said Tommy. "But I can't see him saying no." he gestured to the bar where Kira was seated before Ernie who was making faces and tickling her tummy causing the little girl to laugh. With a laugh of their own, the Rangers quickly agreed, Ernie adored Kira. For the rest of the afternoon the Rangers huddled together making plans, calling it a day only when Kira made it very clear it was time to go.

**-T/K-**

The following day the Rangers set their plans into motion. It was two days until Kira's birthday and everything had to be perfect, none of them would allow anything less. Ernie jumped on board the second Tommy and Kim had asked him and said that not only could they use the Youth Centre before it opened on Thursday, but he'd also make the birthday cake, his present to Kira, though they all knew he'd end up getting her some stuffed toy; they were Kira's new obsession and she had quite the collection if you included Kim's, which she had unofficially taken over. Bulk and Skull too had quickly agreed to come and even volunteered to help set up the Youth Centre, though Ernie made them promise to stay away from his cake. The Ranger's parents collaborated and bought all the supplies necessary, leaving only the set up to the kids. After closing on the day before Kira's birthday, the Rangers, along with Bulk and Skull, were blowing up balloons and hanging streamers for the party the next morning when Jason stilled, a thought entering his mind.

"You ok, Jason?" Trini, who had been blowing balloons beside him, asked. Jason nodded his head in Bulk and Skull's direction.

"Hey, Bulk, Skull, I left a box of supplies in my car, can you go get it?" she asked, catching on quick. Completely oblivious, the two nodded and caught the keys Trini threw at them before ambling outside. The others, however, had not been oblivious and gathered around their leader the moment Bulk and Skull's prying ears were out of range.

"Is it just me, or has it been too quiet around here lately?" Once it was said, realization dawned on the Rangers and they thought back to their last battle.

"We haven't fought a single battle in nearly two weeks." Zack said.

"It was just before Tommy and I went to talk to Zordon." Kim added, remembering their last battle clearly as she and Tommy had missed nearly the entire thing, joining in at the last minute, just in time to call on the Mega Tigerzord.

"What do you think they're up to?" asked Trini.

"Nothing good." Came the reply from Billy.

"Be on guard guys." Said Jason. "Kira's birthday is just the kind of thing they'd love to crash."

"Thanks for jinxing it, Jase." Muttered Tommy, though he knew his friend was completely right. No attack in nearly two weeks meant Rita and Zedd were planning something, something big, and they loved nothing more than ruining the Rangers day, and what better way to do that than to spoil Kira's birthday?

"Trini, there's no box in your car." Bulk complained as he and Skull walked back into the room. The Rangers quickly separated and returned to their tasks.

"Oops, sorry, forgot I brought it in."

**-T/K-**

August the 18th dawned bright and beautiful, though it was with a sense of stifled joy that Tommy and Kim stuck Kira in her car seat and drove the short distance from the Hart residence to the Youth Centre. Their now finely tuned radar as to when something bad was going to happen was sounding the red alert, and they only hoped that Rita and Zedd would hold out until after the party. As planned, Tommy, Kim, and Kira were the last to arrive. The newly turned one year old toddled ahead of her parents into the main room where she was greeted by the sight of nineteen smiling faces. Unsure what exactly was going on, Kira nonetheless ran into her godfather's arms as he bent down to her level. Standing up again, Jason wore a big smile as he wished her a happy birthday, giving her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek and causing the birthday girl to laugh. Kira was then passed around to each person in turn, her own smile growing as she was showered with attention. Trini had strategically placed herself at the end of the line so as to continue holding her goddaughter after the rounds were made. Knowing Ernie had to open at noon, and with Kira being too young to really have a birthday party, they didn't waste any time and got right down to it.

"Presents first, I think." Kim said, knowing the mess her daughter would make once the cake was brought out. Everyone grabbed the present they had brought and gave it in turn to Kira who, with some help, tore the paper away. She received a wide range of things, from clothes, to stuffed toys, a child's play house, toys that lit up and emitted sounds, and more stuffed toys, which were undoubtedly the little girl's favourite, and which she received the most of. Next came the cake. Everyone sang happy birthday, while Kira looked around in bewilderment, before Ernie cut the cake and placed the first piece in front of her. Upon seeing it, Kira dug right in, grabbing a handful of the offering and shoving in her mouth, though much of it ended up all over her face. It was the first time she had tasted cake, as well as chocolate, and as made evident by her reaching for more before she'd even swallowed, she loved it. Many pictures were taken before the adults took their own pieces of cake. They had barely taken two bites, however, when the six-note call chimed through the Ranger's communicators.

"What is that?" Lucy asked, looking around for the source.

"That was my timer for the oven." Ernie said, covering for them as usual. "I set it too long when making the cake and I guess I forgot to turn it off."

"Let me go take care of that for you, Ernie." Tommy jumped up, thanking his job at the Youth Centre for giving him the perfect excuse to escape. He ran out of the room towards the kitchen, looking back long enough to ensure that the parents and Bulk and Skull had bought the excuse.

"This is Tommy, Zordon. What's going on?" he asked, bringing his communicator to his lips when he was out of sight and earshot.

"A NEW ENEMY HAS APPEARED AND IS ATTACKING DOWNTOWN ANGEL GROVE." Tommy sighed, having predicted exactly this, though unsure what could be done without arousing suspicion.

"Zordon, we're at the Youth Centre with our parents for Kira's birthday. How are we gonna get away without them finding out?" Suddenly, a loud crash was heard coming from the main room. Tommy would have thought nothing of it, thinking it was Bulk and Skull crashing into something yet again, if only it was not accompanied by screams.

"They're here at the Youth Centre." Tommy said before dropping the communication and sprinting back into the main room. What he saw did not please him at all. Everyone was huddled against the wall, the Rangers standing protectively in front of their parents and Kim who held Kira, facing the new monster and a group of the big birds Ivan Ooze had sent after them. Without any hesitation, Tommy joined his friends and fell into a fighting stance.

"What do we do?" Trini asked. No one had an easy answer. With their parents and Bulk and Skull around, they couldn't morph, but neither could they do nothing.

"We have to hold them off long enough for the others to get away." Jason instructed.

"What?!" His mother cried, unable to believe her baby was even thinking of fighting these monsters. Her cry went unheard, however, as the teens launched on the attack. Kim hung back, ready to hand Kira over to her parents after she'd seen them safely outside. Guiding the stunned parents around the battle, Kim led them to the main doors. Their escape, however, was cut off by another group of the big birds who had evidently been placed outside in case they tried to escape.

"We're surrounded!" She yelled, herding them back into a corner. Kim handed Kira to her mother and joined the fight, stopping one of the birds from landing a hard blow to Tommy's back. However, although one blow was stopped, another one wasn't, and it wasn't just Tommy that was taking a beating, but all of them. Just like when they had been cornered on Pheados, these birds were too much for them without added power. Re-grouping, the Rangers stood once again in front of their parents.

"Now what?" Asked Zack, though knowing they really only had one choice left. The Rangers looked to each other, every possible scenario and its outcome running through their minds, silently bouncing ideas off each other as their two years as a team allowed them too. Their parents and Bulk and Skull watched as every emotion played out on their faces, though eventually they all settled into a hard determination. Although dreading what they knew they must do, the Rangers did not hesitate once it was clear they really had no other option.

"Zordon, forgive us…but we have no choice." Jason muttered. "Let's do it guys!"

"Right!"

"It's Morphin' Time!"

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**A/N - Someone asked me awhile ago if the parents would find out they were Rangers and the thought has stuck with me ever since. I wrote three different endings for this chapter, two of them having the Rangers get out of it somehow with their parents being none the wiser, and then this one. The other two were longer cause it wrapped up the battle, but when I decided on this one I split it, so you'll get the conclusion of the battle and their parents reactions in the next chapter.**

**Review please!**


	19. Revelations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 19 – Revelations **

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"It's Morphin' Time!"

"White Ranger Power!"

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Pink Ranger Power!"

"Blue Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!"

"Red Ranger Power!"

Fourteen mouths dropped open as one, unable to believe what they were seeing. In bright multi-coloured lights, their children, and classmates, were transforming before their eyes into the heroes of Earth. Though the heroes who risked their lives on a daily basis, was the most prominent thought in the parents' heads. As the lights died away, no one said a word, they were not capable of it; their brains had yet to catch up with their eyes, although they knew that when they finally did, they still would be incapable of speech. Without a backwards glance, the now fully morphed Rangers launched on the offensive, their morphed state giving them the power needed to take care of the Tengas.

"Aw man." Moaned the new monster as he watched his soldiers be defeated one by one until none were left. "Ed's gonna kill me…" The Rangers froze hearing this. Who was Ed, and why was this monster suddenly afraid he'd be the one to destroy him and not the Rangers?

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Jason asked, getting back on track.

"Oh! I'm Rito Revolto!" he said, trying to sound menacing. "Beloved brother of Empress Rita and Lord Ed."

"You mean Lord Zedd?" Zack asked, unsure, like everyone else, as to what exactly was going on; this was like no monster they'd ever fought before.

"Oh yeah! Zedd!"

"Rita has a brother?" Kim muttered in disbelief.

"You betcha! And I'm going to destroy you for my sister!"

"You and what army?" Tommy asked as the Rangers fell into a fighting stance as one synchronized unit. Rito looked around and visibly started, seeing all his Tenga warriors had been destroyed; obviously he had forgotten.

"I-I'll be back!" He stuttered, once again trying to make it sound like a viable threat, though not succeeding in the least. He disappeared and the Rangers shook their heads, unable to believe what had just happened, and wondering if Rito was playing them, or if he was really as dense as he seemed. With a collective sigh they made to turn towards their still stunned parents and friends, but were interrupted by Alpha's voice over the comm.

"Rangers, Lord Zedd has unleashed the Vampirus monster on downtown Angel Grove. You must stop him!"

"We're on our way, Alpha." Jason assured the robot before he and the others quickly turned to their parents.

"We'll talk later." He told them, using his Red Ranger voice, and leaving no room for argument. They may be their parents, but when it came to Ranger business, they were mere civilians. A couple of the parents managed to nod, while the others all stood stock-still. All of them had tears in their eyes as their brains finally began to catch up, along with the realization as to what exactly this all meant.

"Take care of Kira." Kim said to her mother who was still clutching the baby who remained oblivious to the gigantic can of worms that had just been opened.

"She'll be safe." Ernie said, stepping forward and taking point. "Go." Kim and Tommy nodded, knowing that at the very least Ernie would get Kira out and to the Command Centre should something happen while they were gone. With one last backwards glance, the Rangers brought their hands to the Morphers attached to their belts and teleported out. With them gone, the parents, along with Bulk and Skull, turned to face Ernie.

"You knew?" Caroline whispered, the first words any of them had uttered since those monsters invaded the Youth Centre. Ernie nodded.

"Yeah. It's a long story."

**-T/K-**

The Rangers teleported to Angel Grove park and were met by a giant humanoid bat shaped monster. Without wasting any time, they called on their Zords, forming the Ninja Falcon Megazord. Attacks were exchanged in what was neither a particularly hard nor lengthy battle before the Rangers powered up for an energy punch, destroying Vampirus. The Rangers then teleported to the Command Centre, none of them wanting to go home quite yet, and also needing to inform Zordon of this new development.

"Zordon…we broke one of the rules." Jason started when they'd powered down. The morphological being merely stared back, waiting for them to elaborate. "Our parents, and Bulk and Skull, know our identities." Realization dawned on Zordon, he had not been able to fathom exactly what the Rangers could have done. He knew that having The Power might go to some people's heads, and in the beginning he probably would have assumed they had used The Power for personal gain, but now, knowing them like he did, that thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"I ASSUME YOUR IDENTITIES AS POWER RANGERS WERE REVEALED UNDER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES." He said, also knowing that the Rangers would never just morph in front of people for the hell of it. The Rangers nodded.

"Rita's brother, Rito, showed up at Kira's party with a group of Tengas and had us surrounded." Trini explained. "We couldn't hold them off." Zordon looked down on them, taking in their morose forms inlaid with guilt; they were obviously thinking that they would now lose the protection of The Power. Ernie had discovered their identities all on his own, they had not revealed it to him, but merely confirmed it when his life became at risk for his help in babysitting Kira. At that time Zordon had given his blessing for them to reveal next to all to their friend, for that is indeed what Ernie had become. He had said at that time that having one person know their identities was not the end of the world, but if it were to become public knowledge it could pose a problem, both for the Rangers, as well as for the general public. Now, with fourteen others knowing, two of whom had not too long ago made it their mission to uncover the identities of the Power Rangers and reveal it to the public, the Rangers were thinking this would now turn into the nightmare Zordon had warned them about. He decided, at least, to relieve them of one worry.

"YOU SHALL NOT LOSE THE PROTECTION OF THE POWER, RANGERS. THAT PARTICULAR RULE WAS PUT IN PLACE TO CORRESPOND WITH THE ONE ABOUT NOT USING THE POWER FOR PERSONAL GAIN. REVEALING YOUR IDENTITIES, AND REAPING IN THE REWARDS THE PEOPLE OF EARTH WOULD BESTOW UPON THEIR HEROES, IS ANOTHER WAY OF USING THE POWER FOR PERSONAL GAIN."

"So we're still the Power Rangers?" Zack clarified, Zordon nodded and smiled when they all sighed in relief.

"What now, Zordon?" Tommy asked. "Bulk and Skull know. And our parents will want answers."

"THEN YOU MUST GIVE THEM ANSWERS." Zordon responded. "OR RATHER THE ANSWERS YOU ARE WILLING TO GIVE. I LEAVE WHAT YOU TELL THEM UP TO YOUR DISCRETION." The Rangers nodded, thankful he wasn't asking them to reveal all. There were some things, like what happened on the Moon two years ago, which would never leave this room.

"Let's start with Bulk and Skull." Jason suggested. "At least find out if our cover will be blown." The others nodded and asked Alpha to pinpoint Bulk and Skull's location, which, rather unsurprisingly, was still at the Youth Centre, though they noted that their parents were no longer there; no doubt congregating at one of their houses, most likely one with one of Kira's nurseries, awaiting their children's return. Thanking Zordon, and steeling themselves for the discussions to come, the Rangers teleported to the Youth Centre, making their way into the main room. With a quick nod to Ernie, they approached the table at which sat two unusually sedate Junior Policemen. Taking seats, the Rangers gathered around them, waiting to see if they would say anything. When they didn't even blink, Trini made the first move.

"Should we be concerned about you revealing our identities?" Surprisingly, both shook their head 'no' without any hesitation.

"You're not gonna blow our cover?" Kim reiterated, again receiving a shake of their heads.

"Are you incapable of speech at the present time?" Billy asked and finally the two looked up at the serious and expectant faces of their classmates and friends.

"We…" Bulk began, but cut off, obviously having difficulty speaking, though not incapable of it. "You? You're _them?_" he finally got out, surprising the teens once again by not using the word Rangers in the now open and crowded Youth Centre.

"Yeah, we are." Replied Zack.

"But how…why…I mean you're…and you're still…you fight…your lives…" Skull stuttered jumping from one train of thought to the next.

"We were chosen by The Power, why we were chosen we don't exactly know, it was destiny, I guess. Yes, we're them and yes we're still only teenagers. Yes we fight monsters and risk our lives." Jason said, getting the gist of it all. Skull nodded and went back to being quiet.

"Look, why don't we give you guys some time?" Tommy phrased it as a question but was already standing up. "If you're not gonna reveal our identities, then we've got time for all of us to figure things out. Let your brains catch up and we'll talk later and answer any questions that you have."

"Within reason." Added Trini. "We can't tell you everything." Once again the two nodded, and the Rangers stood to leave. Ernie chose that moment to come over with a refill for the two who were staring off into space.

"I'll look after them." Ernie told the Rangers, and not for the first time were they glad for his help. With a nod of their own, the Rangers retreated to the parking lot where their cars awaited to take them home to face the firing squad.

Tommy and Kim had been staying at Kim's dad's place this week and so that is where the Rangers tried first, and lo and behold multiple familiar cars were parked in front of the house. With one last look at each other, Tommy and Kim got out of their car and headed inside right alongside their friends. They had not stopped to prepare a game plan of what would be said or left unsaid, thinking it better to be fully honest with their parents, even if their honesty was a simple 'we can't tell you.' The Rangers walked calmly into the house, Tommy and Kim taking a quick look around, and determining their daughter must be taking her nap, headed straight upstairs.

"They always check on Kira after a battle." Jason offered in explanation. Their parents nodded, many of them taking a swig of the drink they all clutched at the mention of the word 'battle.' No one said a word until Tommy and Kim returned some minutes later, joining their friends on the living room floor, sitting before their parents.

"How…why…" James, Jason's father, began, about as articulate as Bulk and Skull had been.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Jason's mom Lucy added, coming to her husband's aid. "And don't leave anything out."

"There will be things we leave out." Kim said, getting right to the point for there was no way that she would divulge certain information, especially pertaining to how Tommy joined the team. "We can't tell you everything. Fate of the world and all that." Deciding to not fight that now, and unsure if they would later, the parents nodded.

"The first thing you should know is that we didn't just decide one day to become Power Rangers." Jason started, as always taking point as leader. "No one can. The Power chooses you. And I do mean The Power. Think of Star Wars and the Jedi's The Force, it's basically the same thing. The Power is sentient and lives in all living things within the universe."

"Over six million years ago, an intergalactic morphological being known as Zordon came to Earth and set up a Command Centre from which to fight evil." Billy continued. This was everyone's story and they would all take turns telling it. "He created six Power Coins, imbedded with the power of six ancient animals, which we call dinosaurs. He also created six Morphers to accompany the Power Coins as well as the Morphing Grid, which is an energy field which gathers The Power and which the Morphers in turn can tap into, converting the energy within the Grid into usable energy, allowing us to become Power Rangers.

"Ten thousand years ago, Zordon subdued an evil sorceress known as Rita Repulsa, trapping her in a dumpster and sending it off into space. Eventually, in September of '93 to be exact, Rita was released and began attacking Earth." Trini continued. "Zordon called on The Power who chose us to use the Power Coins to fight Rita and we became the universe's first Power Rangers."

"But why you?" Tianna, Zack's mom, implored. "I know you said you were chosen but is it a magical contract you enter when you're chosen that says you have to fight?"

"No, once The Power was presented to us we chose to fight." Zack told his mom. "The Power doesn't choose you lightly, it chooses you because it knows you have what it takes to be a Power Ranger, which means we didn't have it in us to say no, to doom the Earth to destruction. It's a decision we'd all make again in a second." The others nodded, looking their parents straight in the eye.

"My start as a Ranger was less then stellar." Tommy started up again when the only response they got was the thinning of lips. "When we first moved to Angel Grove, Rita scouted me out as her Evil Green Ranger."

"That was you?!" Vivian asked her son, a look of horror coming across her face. Tommy nodded, not looking her in the eyes. Kim grabbed his hand in support and leaned in to him a bit, telling him both mentally and physically that she was with him. He may not divulge most of his Evil Green Ranger days, but his mind certainly went there.

"As you know from the news, I nearly destroyed the Rangers. Eventually though, they were able to break the spell Rita placed me under and I joined their team. But my powers weren't stable. Rita had stolen the sixth Power Coin from Zordon and had used her magic on it. She created a Green Candle. When it burned out, my powers would be hers."

"But there was no way we were gonna let that happen." Kim added. "Zordon once created the Power Coins, he could create one again. This time Tommy's Power Coin was infused with the light of goodness, which could never be taken from him, and he became the White Ranger."

"What about that Green Ranger that attacked the city a few months ago?" Mark asked. "The White Ranger was there at the same time as the Green Ranger." The Rangers blew out a breath, shuddering at the recollection of Tom.

"Long story short, Rita and Zedd summoned a new monster who created a copy of me. When Rita's Green Candle burned out, she gained control of the Green Ranger powers and gave them to my copy. Our powers bonded to us, to our DNA, so she needed a copy to be able to use the Green Ranger powers."

"A few months after Tommy became the White Ranger, Lord Zedd showed up." Said Trini. "Turns out, Rita isn't the baddest or strongest villain out there. Lord Zedd was her commander in chief, so to speak, and with her failure to concur Earth, he came and decided to do it himself."

"Naturally, though, we got this. We had to create new Zords, the colossal assault vehicles we use when the monsters grow big," added Zack. "But we thwarted him, more than a few times. Eventually Rita returned and she and Zedd got married." Again the Rangers shuddered. "Don't even wanna go there." Zack muttered. "But the two were no match for us."

"Then came the real test." Jason picked up. "The reason Zordon set up his Command Centre here on Earth, on a planet which six million years ago held no intelligent life, was because Earth was the resting place of Ivan Ooze. Six million years ago Ooze was the leader of the foulest empire in the universe. Zordon and six Ancient Warriors locked Ivan Ooze away in a hyperlock chamber and buried him on Earth, thinking that he'd stay there forever, safe on a planet that was so far from having intelligent life, though Zordon still came to Earth to watch over Ivan. But this summer Ooze was released."

"He accomplished in one night what Rita and Zedd failed to do in two years." Said Trini. "He destroyed our Command Centre, our Zords, our powers…and Zordon."

"Zordon is trapped in a time warp." Explained Kim. "Ten thousand years ago, he was hurt badly in his last fight with Rita, before he trapped her in her dumpster. He knew he couldn't die, not yet anyways, as the universe still needed him, so he banished himself to a time warp where he could live for forever more. So long as he remains in his time warp. Ooze destroyed the time warp, and outside of it, Zordon was dying, and fast."

"We traveled to the distant planet of Pheados, to retrieve the Great Power which resided there." Said Tommy. "That's where things got interesting. There we met Dulcea, master warrior of the planet Pheados, and High Priestess of the Ninjetti. The Ninjetti are an ancient order of warriors sworn to protect the light. It was six of their warriors that joined with Zordon to seal Ooze away. Eons ago, they were all wiped out, save for Dulcea, and since then no one has joined their order…until us. We became Ninjetti, who call on the power of Animal Spirits."

"Buried deep within each of us is an Animal Spirit waiting to be released." Kim picked up and the others were more than happy to let her and Tommy finish this part of the story, it did affect them the most after all, and they would let those two determine how much they'd reveal. "Most people go through life not even knowing they have an Animal Spirit, let alone being able to release it. We were able to release our Spirits. Jason is the Ape, Billy the Wolf, Trini the Bear, Zack the Frog, Tommy the Falcon and I'm the Crane."

"With the help of our Animal Spirits we were able to reach The Great Power, the power of the Ninjetti. The Great Power granted us new Ranger powers, new Power Coins, and new Zords. With them we were able to destroy Ivan for good."

"Something else you should know, and to give you an idea of how real this all is, and how is affects us," Kim said, turning to Tommy and getting his approval before continuing. "I know you've wondered about Tommy and I. And how two teenagers who've known each other for not quite two years could be so in sync with each other it's like they've been together for decades. Tommy and I are soul mates. I mean that. This is not a teenager convinced her first love is 'the one.' The Falcon and Crane are the Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies; they are mates, destined to be together, and so are Tommy and I. We are bonded. Essentially it means we are one person in two bodies. We share one soul, one heart, and one mind."

"We tell you this to give you some idea of how our experiences have changed us." Tommy added. "You can say its just teenage infatuation and when high school's over we'll get over it, but we won't, and its not."

"We know one of your primary concerns is that physically we are deemed quite young by society's standards." Said Billy. "But the key word there is 'physically.' Society may deem us little more than children, but in every way that counts, to us at least, we are not children."

"Physical age means nothing in our line of work." Said Jason. "It is what is inside that counts. How tall we are or whether we've gone through puberty means nothing."

"Zordon is an ancient intergalactic being. He told us that in his travels across the universe, he once met an eight year old who had been gifted with great power and led his people as their chief. He had the wisdom to back up his power and so his people turned to him to lead them, though he was only eight." Added Trini, taking what Zordon had told Kim and Tommy when they had sought his guidance.

"Is that it? That's the end?" Mai, Trini's mother, asked after a period of silence in which the parents took in everything they had been told.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's some story." Her father, Chien, muttered.

"And we were completely clueless." Added Vivian, near tears. Some of the parents mirrored her stance, teary eyed and closed off, while others had become agitated and begun pacing.

"How could you not tell us?" James asked, having finally found his voice.

"We couldn't." his son answered. "When we became Rangers, we had to adhere to three rules or risk losing the protection of The Power. First, never escalate a battle unless our enemies force us. Second, never use The Power for personal gain, and third, never reveal our identities unless absolutely necessary. Until your lives were in immediate danger, it wasn't necessary."

"I still can't believe that for nearly two years, our children have been risking their lives fighting evil they couldn't possibly hope to defeat while we remained clueless!" Caroline snapped, having been one of the ones who had become agitated.

"No hope?" Kim snapped back, though quickly backtracked and levelled her voice, realizing this was a shock to everyone. "Of course there's hope. The Power would never have chosen us, Zordon would never have given us the Power Coins, if they didn't think we could defeat Rita and Zedd."

"You are just children!"

"We're the Power Rangers." Tommy said forcefully. "Like we said, physical age in our line of work means nothing. And yes, this is our line of work. Like it or not, we are the Power Rangers. The Power was presented to us and we chose to fight. Our powers bonded to us, and that's a choice we can't easily unmake, even if we wanted to, which we don't." He sighed and wrapped an arm around Kim, going to try a different approach. "Look, I know what you're feeling. If it was Kira, I'd be angry, and in shock, and I'd do everything in my power to keep her safe and make this not true." No one doubted Tommy's words, the emotion on his face, and in his voice, spoke of nothing but the truth. Only, most occupants in the room didn't know Tommy was thinking about his daughter's future.

"That's why the Pink Ranger took a leave of absence, so to speak." Concluded Charles, Billy's dad. "Because Kim was pregnant." The Rangers nodded.

"I can't believe my grandbaby was brought into this world with Power Ranger parents." Andrew commented.

"Neither could we." Kim was quick to agree with her father. "You can't know the turmoil we went through when I found out I was pregnant. Our enemies are powerful and we earned a target on our heads for thwarting them. Our child would be born with one, you can't imagine what that's like."

"We just discovered our children are Power Rangers, and thus have targets on their heads." Said Mark. "I think we know how you feel."

"Not to the same extent." Countered Kim. "We weren't born with targets on our heads and we're more then able to defend ourselves. Kira's just a baby." No one could argue that point, though it didn't make anyone feel any better about the danger their children were in.

"So what now?" Zack asked after a bit.

"I do not think we know." Pierre responded when none of the other parents did. He had stayed out of it for the most part, believing that as he had been around for just over three years and had only become Kim's step-father the summer before all this began, that it wasn't really his place to interfere. He knew he was a part of this family and that Kim welcomed him fully into her life, or at least as much as her own parents were; most notably she had ensured he knew that he was as much a grandfather to Kira as Andrew was. But Kim had still been nearly grown when he came into her life, and also had her own fully involved father, so there was that separation where she viewed him more as her mother's husband rather than her father.

"I want to meet him." Lucy spoke up and was quickly backed up by the other parents. "The man who put the fate of the world on my baby's shoulders."

"Mom, I'm not a baby." Jason nearly whined, but stopped himself, realizing it wouldn't help his case at all. "I'm a Power Ranger, the Red Ranger, and leader of this team."

"Then I doubly want to meet him. I know you, Jason Scott, and if you're the leader then you'll shoulder every failure you face, thinking it's because of your shortcomings that you failed. I want to meet the man who put that on you." Jason looked to his fellow Rangers who shrugged.

"Alright, I'll ask." He said finally. "But it's up to Zordon whether he will allow you access to the Command Centre. Zordon, come in." he raised his communicator to his lips.

"I READ YOU, JASON."

"We've talked to our parents. They want to meet you."

"I HAD ANTICIPATED AS MUCH AND HAVE ALREADY KEYED THEM INTO THE PROTECTIVE ENERGY FIELD. ALPHA WILL BE STANDING BY FOR TELEPORTATION AT YOUR COMMAND."

"Thanks Zordon. We'll see you soon."

"Protective energy field?" Charles asked, curiosity filling his inquisitive mind, so like his son's.

"The Command Centre is protected against anyone without a Power Coin, unless they are specifically keyed into the energy field surrounding the Command Centre." Billy explained. "Until now only Kira and Ernie have had access to it."

"Speaking of Ernie, how did he find out?" asked Michael, Zack's dad.

"He figured it out all on his own." Kim said with a laugh, remember back to Power Rangers Day where Ernie had shocked her at how easily he had figured it out. "He put the pieces together, us running off, often without paying, then the Rangers showing up minutes later, the Pink Ranger disappearing when I became pregnant, the changes in us from what he was used to seeing everyday, not to mention we always wear our Ranger colours."

"We have no idea why." Tommy added. "It's like, encoded into our DNA that we must always be wearing something that corresponds with our Ranger colours."

"Tommy had to get nearly a whole new wardrobe when he went from green to white."

"Don't even pretend you didn't enjoy that little shopping spree." Tommy commented with a smirk.

"I never said anything of the sort, Handsome." The two smiled at each other, really smiled for the first time since Kira's birthday was interrupted; both with a look of pure love. The Rangers smiled softly as Tommy bent down to give Kim a kiss, while the parents were getting a glimpse as to what they had been talking about. They had seen that look of pure love and utter devotion on Tommy and Kim's faces more times then they could count, but until now had never known what to make of it. Having heard that the two were soul mates, they quickly realized that that was spot on.

"Let me grab Kira, then we'll go." Kim said when Tommy pulled away a second later, having left the kiss short in front of their parents. She ran upstairs and returned a few minutes later with a groggy Kira.

"Sorry, had to wake her up."

"She hates teleporting." Tommy answered their parents question looks as to why exactly the baby had to be woken. "Last time we teleported when she was asleep it took forever to get her to stop crying. Better she's awake, though she'll still hate it."

"Alpha, we're standing by for teleportation." Trini said into her communicator.

"See you about twenty seconds." Zack said before the parents were teleported out in beams of greyish light. Once they were gone, the Rangers themselves activated their own teleportation and arrived in the Command Centre to twelve disoriented parents.

"You guys ok?" Jason asked the parents who nodded before turning to face the now wailing baby.

"Told ya she didn't like teleporting." Tommy said as he and Kim began to expertly calm their daughter. They went over to her playpen, which the parents noticed was off to the side and looked entirely out of place in this setting and was a testament to how much time Kira spent here. When the little girl was calmly settled into her playpen, sleep reclaiming her, Kim and Tommy returned to the main platform and it was then that their parents looked around for the first time. They were standing on a main platform surrounded by control panels that did only God knows what. There was a hallway off to the right and two large durasteel doors on the left. Spires with what looked to be energy stood on either side of empty tube. There was also a robot standing off to the side that came to life when it felt their gaze.

"Greetings. I am Alpha 5, companion to Zordon of Eltar."

"Alpha's kind of our tech expert, along with Billy." Said Zack. At the mention of his name, the two energy spires flanking his time warp crackled with energy and the ancient sage appeared. The parents started seeing this. Some had forgotten that their children had told them he lived in a time warp; other had been unable to envision what it would look like.

"This is our mentor, and creator of the Power Rangers, Zordon of Eltar." Introduced Kim.

"IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU ALL." Said Zordon. "BUT I AM CERTAIN YOU DID NOT COME HERE FOR PLEASENTARIES BUT TO GET ANSWERS. MORE PREDOMINENTLY, WHY ANYONE WOULD CHOOSE A BUNCH TEENAGERS TO PROTECT THE WORLD."

"Yeah, Zordon has a way of just knowing things." Jason said to their parents' stunned expressions.

"Y-yeah, why don't we start there?" Said Vivian, who had recovered first.

"THEM BEING TEENAGERS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY DECISION, OR THE POWER'S INFLUENCE." He said, getting right into it. " AS THEY MAY OR NOT HAVE ALRADY TOLD YOU, I AM AN ANCIENT INTERGALACTIC BEING, BORN OVER SIX MILLION YEARS AGO ON THE PLANET ELTAR, A PLANET WHICH WAS DESTROYED IN WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY NATURAL LIFETIME. SIX MILLION YEARS AGO PHYSICAL AGE MEANT LITTLE TO NOTHING WHEN COMPARED TO SKILL, WISDOM AND POWER LEVEL, THREE THINGS ALL SIX OF THEM POSSESSED LONG BEFORE THEY BECAME POWER RANGERS."

"They are just children." Caroline said. "How on earth could they possibly have any of that?"

"YOU UNDERESTIMATE THEM. IN RECENT YEARS I HAVE OBSERVED THAT MANY SOCIETIES ON EARTH HAVE BEGUN TO PLACE FAR TOO MUCH STORE ON PHYSICAL AGE; DISMISSING THOSE WHO ARE YOUNG AS INEXPERIENCED, UNKNOWLEDGABLE, AND UNABLE TO COMPREHEND ANYTHING THAT IS DEEMED 'ADULT MATTERS.' IT IS A FLAW ON HUMANITY'S PART, AND AS A RESULT MANY BRIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO'S VIEWS OF LIFE MAY VERY WELL BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ARE STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS, FOR SOCIETY HAS THEM BELEIVING THAT THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT." Zordon paused and allowed that to sink in before continuing. If nothing else, he needed to make them understand that the danger their children were in had nothing to do with their age.

"YOUR CHILDREN HAVE EXPERIENCED THINGS MOST ADULTS WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE, THEY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES THAT EVEN ONE AS OLD AND AS WIDELY TRAVELED AS I, HAVE NOT. NOTHING HAS CHANGED, SAVE THAT NOW YOU KNOW THEY HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES."

"But they shouldn't have these experiences!" Tianna insisted.

"I CANNOT DISAGREE WITH YOU THAT SOME OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE THINGS THAT NO PERSON, NO MATTER HOW OLD OR YOUNG, SHOULD EVER EXPERIENCE. BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE CHANGED THEM FOR THE BETTER. I HAVE WATCHED OVER THE TWO YEARS I HAVE KNOWN THEM AND SEEN THE AMAZING PEOPLE THEY HAVE GROWN INTO. AT THE VERY LEAST, YOU CANNOT DENY THAT MOST OF THE CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN FOR THE BETTER."

"And if we were adults you wouldn't be saying that. You'd be saying it was our choice to have these experiences." Added Trini, knowing this to be true. They couldn't fight that, for Trini was exactly right. There were occupations in this world that would be deemed dangerous and would result in similar, though not exact, experiences that their children were having as Rangers.

"I still can't understand how you can just dump the fate of the world on someone's shoulders." Said Chien.

"It's on his shoulders to, Ba." Said Trini. "The fate of many worlds are on his shoulders, and he's no longer able to fight."

"He presented us with a choice, but we were the one's who chose to fight." Added Billy.

"He presented you with a choice which he knew wasn't really a choice!" insisted Charles. "He knew the kind, good people you were and-"

"Exactly." Jason interrupted. "The good people we are, the kind of people who if given the power to help others will take it. That's who we are; Zordon didn't make us into that kind of person. He just gave us the power to help people."

"Even if we hadn't become the Power Rangers, Rita would still have attacked, and we would still have done what we could to help." Said Zack. Their parents couldn't fight that either, they knew their children would help out in any way they could; just this way they were on the frontlines.

"And he's given us the choice again, more than once." Kim added. "Zordon's given us the chance to back out, to hang up our Morphers. But like we said earlier, we don't have it in us to turn down a way to save our planet. We are the Power Rangers."

"No matter what we say, you're still going to be Rangers, even if it means going behind our backs…again." Said Lucy. "Wouldn't matter if we grounded you, took away every privilege you had…you'd still fight."

"Yes." Jason told his mom. "You've seen we have our own means of transportation. That hallway leads to our med bay as well as a series of rooms that have been set up for us in case we're ever in need of them. If it came down to it we could move in here and never want for anything."

"Just like that. So easy." Caroline muttered.

"No, not easily." Kim said. "It would break our hearts to leave you. But if moving here would help save the rest of the world then we'll do it."

"You didn't kick us out when we were careless and became parents at sixteen. Don't tell me you're gonna kick us out for fighting to save the world." Said Tommy.

"Well when you put it like that…" His dad muttered.

"Of course we're not kicking you out." Vivian admonished. "We've had this discussion before, and finding out you're the Power Rangers hasn't changed that."

"We're just in shock." Said Tianna as she wrapped an arm around her son. Kim's pregnancy had prompted the other parents to have a similar discussion with their children, ensuring they knew they were loved and that should anything like that happen to them, they would certainly have a home, and they'd figure it out as a family.

"No more hiding this from us." Mai insisted. "We want to know every time you go into a fight and you check in the moment it's over."

"No exceptions." Charles agreed.

"We shall keep you informed as much as we can." Billy assured his father. "However, as already stated we cannot share everything with you."

"And like with the situation with Ivan Ooze, we may be off the grid for a day or two." Added Tommy, and continued as his parents opened their mouths to protest. "We are first and foremost parents; Kira comes first no matter what, and if it was a choice between the world or her, we'd choose her every time. I know you can relate to that. Which makes the hardest thing about all this is that secondly we are Power Rangers. There will be times where we disappear for awhile when the safety of the world demands it."

"I guess we have no choice but to accept it." Michael said. Nothing else really could be said. Their parents didn't really have a choice but to accept it, and it would certainly take time, but at least it was more or less out in the open and from here they could move forward.

* * *

**A/N - And there you have it, the story is told.**

**For reference, the Rangers parents' names are as follows:  
Kim - Caroline, Andrew & Pierre  
Tommy - Vivian & Mark  
Jason - Lucy & James  
Trini - Mai & Chien  
Billy - Charles  
Zack - Tianna & Michael  
**

**Up next we have the beginning of the end of Mighty Morphin' and the appearance of Katherine! This part of the story will be quite different than the show, but you'll have to wait and see exactly how it'll be different!**

**Review please!**


	20. A Ranger Catastrophe

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.  
_

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**Chapter 20 – A Ranger Catastrophe**

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With their parents now in the know, the Rangers found their lives to be easier. They now really only had to worry about their classmates and the general public finding out, which was a small worry in comparison. If a battle took place during school hours the principal was to immediately dismiss the students in case the battle escalated, which meant that the Rangers were dismissed from school as well and presumed to have gone home. Luckily, however, Rita and Zedd as a rule didn't attack during school hours for they had discovered that although it annoyed the Rangers, which was their goal, it also pissed them off and the defeat of the monster was more swiftly dealt with. It was ultimately a relief that their parents knew and they were able to breath more freely when they didn't have to do behind their parents' backs everyday of their lives.

**-T/K-**

It was with a clear mind that the Rangers returned to school on September 2nd to begin their junior year. The First thing they did was seek out Bulk and Skull, who for the last few weeks had been avoiding them. The two had kept their promise and not breathed a word of their identities, or at least they assumed they had if the lack of media and public knowledge was anything to go by. They didn't find them until class began at which point they couldn't talk openly. It was at lunch that they finally did get their chance, finding the two sitting at a table far too large for just the two of them; obviously they were expected.

"Why have you been avoiding us?" Trini asked.

"We needed time to think." Bulk answered, surprising the Rangers with their serious tone and demeanour. "It's a lot to take in, the school dweebs being the world's heroes." And there was a glimpse at the Bulk and Skull they knew and loved.

"And have you come to any conclusions?" Asked Billy.

"Not really." Skull said, truthfully. "But we've realized we just gotta accept it."

"And we avoided you till we did."

"And now?" Kim asked.

"Now we get on with out lives; outwardly, nothing has changed."

"We're still the little tykes favourite babysitters." Nothing else was said, thankfully, as the Rangers were quite in shock with this kind of behaviour from these two, which was so unlike them.

**-T/K-**

Days turned into weeks, which eventually turned into months. Christmas and the New Year of 1996 came and went and things began to return to normal. After their identities were revealed, the Rangers parents imposed a strict set of new rules, which saw the Rangers checking in after every battle, no matter how minor, as well as giving a break down of what had happened and where they may or may not be injured. However, as time wore on, their parents learned to worry less, and although they were still to check in after a battle, the strict rules, which had been put into place largely out of their parents' fears, were lifted. Bulk and Skull returned to their bumbling selves, though whenever they watched over Kira or the Rangers were mentioned, there was a new understanding in their eyes, and, if the Rangers weren't mistaken, worry as well. Their new enemy, Rito, proved to be probably the biggest idiot they've ever met, though his power was nothing to scoff at, especially when he joined forces with Goldar, who had brains to back up his power. Their fights grew in determination on Rita and Zedd's part, who were re-trying the age old tactic of destroying the Rangers from the inside out. Zedd, before Rita returned, was more keen on mass destruction and shows of power whereas Rita was more devious. In the last week alone, Jason had been placed under a spell which made the power go to his head when he had been chosen to be teacher for the day, in hopes it would alienate him from the others. Then the Hate Master had been called in and caused any anger and hate the Rangers felt to be amplified and directed towards each other. Both attempts had failed, but this tactic of trickery instead of straight up battles was grating on the Rangers nerves.

**-T/K-**

One bright and sunny day in late April, Tommy and Kim took Kira to the park and spent time together just the three of them. It seemed that between school, Ranger battles, and their friends and parents they didn't have much time for just their small family. Which was fine, they loved being a part of their bigger family, but sometimes it was nice to have time alone with their daughter. They spent most of the time chasing the one year old around the playground and pushing her on the swings, which were her favourite. After an exhausting but wonderful day, Tommy and Kim piled Kira back into her stroller and began the trek home. The parents walked side by side lost in their own thoughts, and each other's thoughts, when they were pulled back to the present by a very distinctive and discernable sound coming from their daughter.

"Cat!" Stopping dead in their tracks, Tommy and Kim bent down to their daughter's level and held their breaths, waiting and listening carefully.

"Cat!" she said again and the two broke into wide smiles.

"Yes, sweetie, that's a cat." Kim cooed, seeing the pure white cat that had caught her daughter's attention. "You're first word! We're so proud of you!" Kira had made other discernable sounds as she neared and past her first birthday. She recognized Tommy and Kim as 'ma' and 'da' but had yet been able to copy the sound turning them into 'mama' and 'dada,' nor had she said anything else that could be qualified as an actual word.

"That's wonderful, sweetie, now say dada, dada." Tommy prompted. Kira looked at him with a confused cock of her head before turning her attention back to the animal which had come over and was rubbing up against Tommy's leg.

"Cat!" Kim laughed.

"Don't push it, Handsome." She advised; knowing Kira would speak when she was ready.

"I wonder who she belongs to." Tommy said. "There's no collar, she must be a stray."

"She's very friendly for a stray." Said Kim a little doubtfully. "Someone probably lost her."

"Well if that's the case," Tommy bent down and picked up the cat, who happily nuzzled against his chest. "We should take her to the animal shelter. Trini should still be there." He said, referring to Trini's volunteer work at the Angel Grove Animal Shelter.

"Well then let's go." Kim agreed. "Trini will love being the first to know of Kira's first word; Jase will be so jealous. And whoever you belong to must be so worried." She reached out to pet the cat, but quickly retracted her hand. "Ouch!" She looked at the angry red scratch mark on her hand than back to the cat, who was once again nuzzling her boyfriend.

"You jealous of a cat, Kim?" Tommy asked with amusement, having caught that stray thought across their bond.

"Why on earth would I ever be jealous of a cat?" she responded, shooting him a dirty look before she began continuing on.

"Well she's completely healthy." Said Dr. Weeller. "Whoever she belongs to took good care of her."

"Well that's good." Said Trini with a big smile as she scratched the cat behind the ears. "She's absolutely beautiful."

"That she is." The doctor agreed. "I'll put her picture and info on the notice board and we'll see if anyone comes to claim her."

"And if no one does?"

"If no one does by the end of the week, she's yours."

"Yes!"

"You're getting a cat?" Kim asked. Trini nodded. "Mom and dad finally relented, so long as I take care of her myself."

"Well, you couldn't find a better cat." Kim said, reaching out to join Trini in petting her, but was once again scratched at.

"I don't think she likes me very much."

"She just needs to warm up to you." Trini assured her, but Kim suspected it would take more than just time.

**-T/K-**

The following day, Tommy was sitting at the Youth Centre, for once not working, while he waited on Kim. He and Kim were supposed to go have a romantic night out while Jason and Trini fought over Kira. What had started out as a true desire to hold their newborn goddaughter had turned into a game between the two of them over the last year. Their friends, and every person who knew them even just a little bit, wondered when the two would finally admit they liked each other. As Tommy waited, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face a tall blonde whom he had never seen before.

"Hi." Tommy said after a moment when the blonde didn't introduce herself, or say anything else for that matter.

"Um…I was wondering. I'm new here, my car's broken down outside and I really don't know what to do." She said finally, an Australian accent evident in her voice.

"Umm…maybe you should call a mechanic." He suggested.

"I was hoping you could take a look at it for me." She said shyly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. Tommy felt the Falcon rear up in caution at a female who wasn't his mate looking at him with hungry eyes. Tommy, however, pushed the feeling down. If he reacted every time a girl other than Kim looked at him, or, what was more difficult, every time a boy looked at Kim, they'd spend the rest of their lives in isolation.

"Um…well I guess I could." He consented. "Oh, I'm Tommy." He held out his hand, which she took a little too eagerly for the Falcon's liking.

"Nice to meet you, Tommy, I'm Katherine. You can call me Kat though." After she held his hand for a moment too long, Tommy pried his hand out of hers, turning to Ernie.

"Hey, Ernie, if you see Kim tell her I'll be right back."

"Absolutely." Said his boss as he watched the two exit the Youth Centre.

"Well that should do it." Tommy said fifteen minutes later after he'd looked at the engine.

"I really don't know how to thank you."

"It's alright, don't worry about it." He said as he wiped his hands off. "It's a beautiful car."

"Do you want to take it for a spin?" Katherine asked with a smile.

"I really shouldn't, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here." He said hesitantly, his hesitation strengthened by the Falcon's vehement opposition.

"Oh, come on, just around the block. It'll be fun." Warring with his Animal Spirit, Tommy asked it for one concrete reason why he shouldn't and when the Falcon came up short, Tommy agreed. Katherine smiled brightly and handed him the keys, and got into the passenger seat. Katherine coaxed Tommy into going around the park, instead of just the block. They were about five minutes into the ride when Tommy felt the car pass through a barrier of some kind. Next thing her knew, the car was no longer on the road, but in some weird other dimension. The Falcon gave a mental 'I told you so' but Tommy ignored it, too intent on figuring out what had happened and how they could get back. No matter his Animal Spirit's feelings, Katherine was still a civilian, and he now had a job to do.

"Oh no, Tommy, what's happening?!"

"I don't know, hold on."

**-T/K-**

"I'm really scared." She cried as she leaned over and latched onto his arm. Though Tommy could not fault her reaction, the feel of her against him felt all wrong.

"It's gonna be ok."

Back on Earth, Kim and Trini arrived at the Youth Centre, having given up the search for the cat Tommy and Kim found the other day and who had escaped from the animal shelter.

"We'll find her Trini." Kim assured her friend.

"You're right. Anyways, I should get back to Kira. Lord knows what mischief Jase has gotten into. Thanks for your help."

"No problem, now go save my daughter." The two friends smiled at each other, knowing that Kira may very well need saving from a hyper-energetic Jason who would no doubt want to play for much longer than she did.

"Hey, Ernie, have you seen Tommy?" Kim asked as the proprietor of her favourite hangout walked by.

"Yeah he said he'd be right back, he's helping some new girl with her car." He had barely finished his sentence when Kim's communicator went off. With a look of understanding, Ernie waved Kim off and nonchalantly went back to work.

"I read you, Zordon."

"KIMBERLY, TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTRE IMMEDIATELY."

"I'm on my way." Kim looked around once more, ensuring no one was watching, before pressing the teleportation button and beaming out of there.

"Aye yai yai yai yai! It's Tommy, he's in trouble!" Alpha said as a greeting. Kim saw that the others had been called in as well. Jason and Trini were sans Kira so Lucy must have been home when they got the call.

"WE HAVE MANAGED TO GET A VISUAL ON HIM, BUT NOTHING MORE."

"Where is he? And who's that girl?" The Crane reared its head seeing some girl wrapped around her mate.

"WE ARE NOT CERTAIN OF HER IDENTITY AS OF YET."

"What are we going to do?" Zack asked.

"We can't just leave them there." Kim said.

"We don't even know where there is." Billy reminded her.

"I shall begin scanning for his location." Alpha said. The Rangers stood by as their robot friend did his thing, though unfortunately, came up short this time. "Aye yai yai! His signal is very weak. I can't lock it in."

"KEEP TRYING ALPHA."

"I'll help." Billy said, coming over to the control panels and punching in some buttons.

"Oh, no he's unconscious!" Kim cried about a minute later when an energy blast hit Tommy.

"Try increasing the output frequency." Billy suggested.

"I'm trying! But his energy signature is too weak." Suddenly the alarms blared and the Viewing Globe changed pictures to reveal a catlike monster attacking downtown Angel Grove.

"THE SEARCH FOR TOMMY SHALL HAVE TO WAIT. RITA HAS UNLEASHED KATASTROPHE ON THE CITY."

"Tommy can't wait." Kim insisted. "If he's unconscious in one of Rita and Zedd's dimensions he won't be able to defend himself. Who knows what they'll do to him. We have to find him."

"Tommy's energy signature is too low to track. I am unable to find him."

"You, maybe, but not me."

"YOU MAKE A VALID POINT, KIMBERLY. VERY WELL. KIMBERLY SHALL REMAIN HERE AND ATTEMPT TO LOCATE TOMMY THROUGH THEIR BOND WHILE THE REST OF YOU GO TO FIGHT KATASTROPHE."

"We'll make quick work of it." Jason promised Kim, clapping her on the shoulder before moving into position.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Blue Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!"

"Red Ranger Power!"

The morphed Rangers teleported out and Kim sat down in the middle of the main platform, wanting to be near in case she had to get information to Alpha and Zordon fast. Closing her eyes, Kim allowed the Crane to come to the very forefront of her consciousness, drawing on its power as they began searching for their mate.

**-T/K-**

In the other dimension, Tommy awoke to find himself no longer in the car, and with no sign of Katherine anywhere. Instead, Goldar was there to greet the White Ranger.

"What did you do with Katherine?" Tommy demanded, falling into a fighting stance.

"You should be worried about yourself, White Ranger."

"Yeah, I've heard that before. It's Morphin' Time! White Ranger Power!" Tommy morphed to combat Goldar and the two locked into battle, as they had many times before. A few minutes into their fight, a projection of Rita appeared and hit Goldar with a blast of pure power, giving him a boost and the edge needed to gain the upper hand.

"Give up?" Goldar growled in glee.

"_Not a chance, Goldar!" _Came Kim's voice through his head.

"_Kim!"_

"_I'm here, Handsome, we'll get you out. Just hold on a bit longer." _Tommy returned to his battle as Kim turned to Alpha and Zordon for help, knowing they had to get Tommy out of there fast. With Kim keeping the connection between her and Tommy open, Zordon used his power to try and momentarily tap into the bond for just long enough to bring Tommy home. On his first attempt, Zordon was blown right out from their bond, unable to even touch it, let alone penetrate it enough to reach Tommy. He had never felt anything this strong before, and estimated that their power level, and the strength of the bond, had only grown since unleashing their Animal Spirits. But, for all the might against him, Zordon was not without his own tremendous power and with Kim's help, for both she and Tommy had felt when Zordon had been thrown out of their bond, he was finally able to reach Tommy and teleport him out of Rita's dimension. Tommy barely even had time to right himself after the sudden teleportation before his arms were full with a relieved Pink Ranger. His Falcon immediately relaxed feeling his mate pressed against him and Tommy knew, as he had always known, that this was the woman who was meant to be in his arms. Along that train of thought, Tommy remembered Katherine and how she was still missing and at Rita's mercy.

"We gotta find Katherine." He said when they finally pulled apart.

"I have began scanning for her, but her own energy signature pales in comparison to yours, and I was unable to locate you. I may not be able to locate Katherine." Alpha said.

"Let me help." Billy said as he and the others teleported back in, having sent Katastrophe on the run. "Tommy, tell me everything you remember about this other dimension, it will diminish the number of possible locations and help us locate her." Tommy relayed everything he remembered, though by Billy's expression, the number of possible locations was still too many to count.

"It's going to take time. Quite probably a significant amount of time." He admitted.

"Well, we've got that to keep us occupied." Zack said, motioning to the Viewing Globe, which had lit up just before the alarms went off, signalling the return of Katastrophe, in epic proportions.

"Too right you are, Zack. Back to action!" All six Rangers teleported out, once again landing in downtown Angel Grove.

"We need Ninja Zord Power, now!" Calling on the power of their Animal Spirits, the Rangers summoned their Zords. These Zords were unlike the others they had had. Instead of coming pre-built, and having to have special hiding places to keep them out of sight and away from the public, these Zords were created directly from their Animal Spirits. In fact, in essence they _were_ their Animal Spirits. When called upon, the glowing Spirits grew in size and solidified, becoming their Zords.

"Ninja Megazord, power up!" following their tactic of many times before, the Rangers formed the Ninja Megazord while Tommy and his Falconzord kept the monster busy. Then, the Megazord powered up and knocked the monster back long enough for the Falconzord to join them and form the Ninja Falcon Megazord. With the added wings, the Megazord flew around Katastrophe, starting a game of cat-chase-bird. Only this time, the bird was slightly bigger than the cat, and had more power. Katastrophe was swiftly dealt with and the Rangers jumped out of their Zords and watched as they disappeared, feeling it when their Spirits re-joined them

"Rangers! I have located Katherine!" Came Alpha's voice.

"That's great, Alpha!" said Tommy. "Can you teleport both me and Katherine to Angel Grove Park? It's better if she believes we were saved together, draws less attention."

"Affirmative." The Rangers powered down, Tommy disappearing to join Katherine as the others teleported close by and ran the rest of the way.

"Oh, Tommy, I was so scared! There were monsters and this creepy witch!" Katherine launched herself at Tommy, clinging to him and burying her face into the crook of his neck. Tommy awkwardly patted her on the back in sympathy, the feeling of someone nuzzling his neck while standing being foreign to him as his mate barely came up to his shoulder and had to settle for his chest.

"Tommy!" Kim cried as she and the others reached the top of the hill and ran down it. Gently but firmly, Tommy pushed Katherine away and opened his arms for the petite pink projectile. The two had already had their reunion after his capture, but Katherine did not know that and both were quite content to act it out for her. They weren't the only ones happy by this show; their Animal Spirits both took a primitive joy in showing this meddling female just who the Falcon belonged to.

"Oh man, am I glad to see you guys." Said Tommy, remembering he was supposed to be reuniting with his friends too. Although the sentence was said, Kim's proximity had Tommy smelling strawberries and he unconsciously buried his face in Kim's long, soft brown locks that forever smelled like what had become his favourite fruit.

"I'm so glad you're safe." She murmured. He held her for a moment longer before allowing their friends to properly welcome him back as well. Only then did he turn back to the new girl.

"Hey, Katherine, are you alright?" he asked, the others following his example and turning their attention to the girl.

"I'm fine Tommy." She said, her accent thickening slightly at the performance she had just been treated to. The Rangers breathed a sigh of relief, none of them noticing how Katherine's eyes flashed at the sight of Kim still in Tommy's embrace.

"That's great." He said, shooting her a smile. Katherine obviously melted under Tommy's attention, and the Rangers felt tension rise as Kim stiffened, seeing another woman eyeing her man even though it had just been made abundantly clear that he was off limits. It was nothing new that Tommy got hit on. He was well liked and many girls at Angel Grove High, and even down into the middle school, had crushes on him. However, they weren't new to town, and knew Tommy only had eyes for Kim; Katherine would learn that soon enough and Kim hoped that when she did they could be friends.

"Hey, these are my friends, Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack and my girlfriend Kimberly." The others nodded to Katherine as they were introduced.

"Hi, I'm Katherine Hillard. I just moved here from Australia." After a few more minutes of small talk, Katherine took her leave, citing the need to help her parents unpack. Once she was out of sight the Rangers turned to go too and ran right into the pure white cat who had escaped the shelter earlier.

"There you are!" Trini cried as she rushed over and picked her up. The cat meowed happily and began purring in Trini's arms.

"I'm so glad she's safe." Kim said, though she kept her distance, still not believing Trini that the cat would warm up to her.

"Hey! I just thought of a name for her!" Trini said.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Jason asked.

"P.C. Park Cat."

"Park Cat…" Jason tried not to laugh but didn't succeed. "And if you get a fish, you can name it W.F. Water Fish! Haha." Trini glared at him, but a smirk quickly formed on her face.

"Alright, Jason. I'll let you name her then." Trini handed the cat over to Jason and began sauntering off. "You can think of one as you take her back to the Animal Shelter. Meanwhile, I'll go relieve your mom of my goddaughter."

"Hey! No fair!" Jason cried as he began to chase after Trini, only to stop when the cat hissed at him in displeasure at being jostled so much.

"Better hurry. It's getting dark. You wouldn't want to miss her bedtime now would you?" Trini called without even turning around to face him.

"I'll get you for this Trini Kwan!" Jason yelled as he sedately walked in the opposite direction, towards the Animal Shelter. The others laughed as they followed Trini, Billy taking pity on Jason enough to say he'd pick him up at the Animal Shelter and drive him home. As the Rangers' backs retreated, none noticed P.C.'s eyes flashing in Kim's direction.

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**A/N - And she's here, Katherine has arrived! Now before I get a whole slew of questions about what's gonna happen with Kat and Kim and will Kim leave the team and Kat become the new Pink Ranger and all that...no, it's not going to happen. At least not yet. Kat will eventually become a Power Ranger, but Kim will not be leaving anytime soon. The story as planned does not call for it and I have no inclination to change that. But I promise you, she will be in the story from here on out (not necessarily every scene though, as she isn't a Power Ranger yet). That is all I will be saying on the matter though, so you'll just have to continue reading to find out more. **

**If you have any other questions, however, as always, feel free to message me! **

**Review please!**


	21. The Potion Notion

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 21 – The Potion Notion**

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The next day at the Youth Centre, Tommy was working behind the counter when Kat walked in. The blonde eyed him not so subtlety before plastering a smile on her face and walking over to the bar, sitting as close to him as she could get.

"What can I get you?" Tommy asked as he turned from the cash register. "Oh, hey Katherine." He smiled at her and Kat felt her heart melt just a little bit.

"Hi Tommy. I'll have a mango smoothie please."

"Sure, coming right up." He turned away from her to make her smoothie and Kat used the time to check him out. When Tommy turned back around Kat quickly averted her eyes, hoping he hadn't caught her.

"Here you go." He said, placing the drink in front of her. Taking a quick look around and seeing no one waiting on him Tommy decided to stay and chat for a bit, he knew how hard it could be to not know anyone in a new town. "So how you liking Angel Grove so far?"

"It's great, everyone's been really nice and welcoming." She replied, happy he had decided to stay.

"Yeah it's a great town, my family moved here summer before freshman year and everyone was awesome, it didn't take long to make friends."

"Well that's good to hear, I hope I'll make some friends soon."

"Hey, you've already got some friends. Me and the gang." He added when she looked at him quizzically. "Have you signed up for school yet?"

"Yes, I got signed up just yesterday, I start Monday."

"That's great! Hope we'll be in the same class." Inwardly doing a little happy dance, Kat responded with a shy smile.

"That'd be great."

Tommy smiled before excusing himself to take the order of a group of kids who came in. As he went to do his job, Kat sipped her smoothie and looked around the Youth Centre, having been unable to take it in during her short visit the other day. The whole lower level was a gym, with mats and machines and weights, even a balance beam. The upper level had tables and chairs, the hallway to the lockers and exit, the bar and _'A playpen?'_ Kat wondered thinking it an odd thing to have at a teen hangout. She was brought out of her musing by the arrival of Tommy who took the seat next to her, a soda in hand.

"Ernie let me off early, thought I'd join you." He said, to which Kat smiled. They talked for a few minutes before Kat's eyes landed again on the playpen and her curiosity got the best of her.

"Hey, Tommy? Why's there a playpen here?" she asked. Tommy's face took on a slightly guarded expression, but he opened his mouth to answer her; however, he was interrupted by a loud, recognizable cry. Tommy's head snapped in the direction of the entrance, his face one of worry. Seeing Kim walking in calmly with Kira alleviated some of his fears, though his daughter's tear stained face still had him worrying. Forgetting for a moment about Katherine, Tommy jumped off his chair and bent down to receive the little girl who, upon seeing her father, had squirmed out of her mother's grasp and ran the last few steps into his arms.

"Hey, sweetie." He cooed, planting a kiss on the top of her head, to which Kira responded with a big yawn before she laid her head on Tommy's shoulder and instantly began to doze off. He sent a questioning look to Kim who smiled and rolled her eyes.

"She woke from her nap grumpy then Jase wore her out while trying to cheer her up." Tommy laughed quietly not wanting to wake the little girl. Turning to place her in the playpen, Tommy was met by Katherine's expression of shock. Tommy smiled hesitantly, though Katherine noticed it was not from embarrassment, more guarded for the protection of the little girl.

"The playpen is for her." He finally answered. "This is Kira, she's our daughter." He said as Kim came to stand beside him. Katherine's shock did not abate.

"Y-your daughter?" she stammered. Tommy nodded. "Yours and Kimberly's?" Again Tommy nodded.

"I thought you were just babysitting…" she muttered, though Tommy and Kim still heard her.

"Babysitting?" Kim asked.

"I saw you two the other day at the park, I thought you were just babysitting." She explained.

"No, she's ours. I know it's a shock, and no one was more surprised then we were when Kim got pregnant freshman year. But we don't regret this girl." Tommy said as he and Kim looked down on to their daughter, pure love written on their faces. Katherine was in a state of shock. He had a child, with Kimberly. She felt any hope of him ever being hers disappear at the same time that a stray thought of not wanting to harm the baby by splitting her parents up entered her mind. That thought was quickly stomped down, however, as Katherine's eyes glowed red, something that went unnoticed by the couple, who were still lovingly staring at their baby.

"She's adorable. Though she looks nothing like you, Tommy." Katherine said, the spell on her fuelling her hate and making her want to tear Tommy away from Kimberly.

"I know, she's all Kim." He answered, finally looking back to Katherine, both he and Kim having been completely oblivious to Katherine's insinuation.

"So have you signed up for school yet?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, Tommy already asked me. I start Monday."

"Great! We'll see you there then." Kim said with a smile as she and Tommy waved goodbye and took Kira home.

**-T/K-**

Later that day, Katherine was walking home when she felt a cold chill running up her spine.

"Here kitty kitty." Called a scratchy voice from the side of the building Katherine was passing. Knowing immediately who it was, Katherine walked alongside the building, stopping when she came across the grossly dressed witch.

"Empress." Katherine greeted. "The plan is going well. The Rangers are welcoming me into their fold with no hesitation."

"Excellent!" Rita cackled. "We will tear them apart from the inside out!"

"Empress, are we still going ahead with trying to split up Tommy and Kimberly?"

"Of course! We must break up the love birds if we're to have any hope of destroying the Rangers."

"They have a daughter…" Katherine said hesitantly, sure that Rita already knew that, but unsure of her plans for the baby.

"Yes, little Kira." Rita spat out. "Unfortunately we can't touch her." Rita remembered all too well her attempts of getting her hands in the Rangers' child, and the subsequent ass kickings. Every time they went anywhere near Kira, all of the Rangers, especially Tommy and Kim, became particularly ruthless in the destruction of the monsters, wanting to send a message to Rita and Zedd that Kira was off limits, no exceptions. "Not yet anyways. First we must split up Tommy and Kimberly. Once they're in turmoil and vulnerable, then we'll go after Kira."

"Yes Empress. I shall see to it personally." She assured the witch. '_And then Tommy will be mine.'_

"Of course you will! You've been a good little kitty." Rita crooned and Katherine inwardly shuddered. There were some people who just shouldn't croon. "And I've got just the thing to help." Rita pulled a vial out of the folds of her dress and handed it to the blonde. "Slip this to Kimberly when Tommy isn't around. She'll fall in love with the first person she sees."

"It will be done, Empress." With an evil smile, Rita disappeared. Katherine looked down at the vial in her hands with a smile of her own.

'_I'll slip some to Kimberly when Tommy's not around, but also to Tommy when I'll just happen to bump into him. Then he'll be mine.'_

**-T/K-**

Monday came and with it came Bulk and Skull's latest obsession.

"Tommy, Kimberly!" Bulk called as he and Skull cornered Tommy and Kim as they walked hand in hand down the hallway.

"You know you two look good together, right Skull, haven't I always said that? They're a lovely couple."

"Yes, lovely."

"Thanks…" Both Kim and Tommy said, unsure exactly what was going on.

"So Tommy, when exactly was the last time you took this lovely lady here out for an enchanted romantic evening?" Skull began singing what he thought to be a romantic song, while Bulk's voice took on a more salesperson like tone.

"Well, you know, having a kid and all kind of puts a damper on date night." He said.

"Hey now!" Kim chided, a playful smile on her face. "With all the babysitters we have I'm sure we can find one to take her for the night. You're out of excuses, Handsome."

"Exactly!" Skull agreed. "We gotta sell all these tickets to the Junior Police Ball or Lt. Stone is gonna throw us in the brig."

"What do you think?" Tommy asked.

"I'd love to."

"Alright!" Bulk said happily as he ripped off two tickets from the roll and accepted Tommy's money. From just up the stairs, Katherine watched as the two planned a romantic evening out. She slipped her hand into her pocket and wrapped it around the vial that sat there, thinking of the perfect opportunity to give it to them.

'_Though it has to be before the ball.' _She thought. _'Tommy will be taking me.' _Katherine was pulled out of her thoughts by a hand being waved in front of her face.

"Earth to Katherine." Kim said in a singsong voice.

"Oh, hi, Tommy." She said, ignoring the petite brunette in favour of the tall one.

"Come on, we're gonna be late for homeroom." He said.

"You'll love Ms. Applebee, she's the best teacher ever." Kim added though her smile was slightly forced; she had not missed Katherine blatantly ignoring her, nor how she continued to look at Tommy. The first two periods went by without incident or excitement. Lunch rolled around and Katherine looked for any opportunity to slip the potion to Kimberly. By the time lunch ended, she was getting frustrated. The final two periods of the day offered no opportunities and so Katherine was obligated to accompany them to the Youth Centre with the hopes that an opportunity would be presented there. Luckily for Katherine, that is exactly what happened. Tommy immediately went to work, leaving the others to find a table. Katherine waited until Tommy took a break before slipping the potion into Kim's drink, before going over and slipping some into the drink Tommy had just made for himself. All she had to do was ensure she was the first one Tommy saw, while keeping him away from Kim long enough for her to see someone herself; with luck, it would be one of the other Rangers, making the rift between Kim and Tommy even bigger. Watching closely as both Kim and Tommy took a sip of their drinks, Katherine situated herself in Tommy's path, standing in between him and Kimberly. She felt her hopes rise as Tommy immediately looked her way after drinking the potion. However, instead of the effects she had anticipated, him falling in love with her, Tommy doubled over, a look of pain crossing his face.

"Tommy!" she cried, rushing to his side. At the same time, the Rangers were heard calling Kim's name; a quick glance in their direction showed Kim also doubled over. Trini and Zack ran over to Tommy's side, having sought him out when Kim fell and seeing that something was up with him too.

"I don't know what happened." Katherine said, completely truthfully. Rita had no reason to lie to her about the potion, she was under Rita's control after all, and this was not the result Rita had promised. "He just doubled over in pain."

"It's alright." Zack assured her as he and Trini helped Tommy up and supported him towards the door where they met Billy and Jason, the latter of which was carrying Kim. "We'll take them home. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Be safe guys." Ernie called as he and the others exchanged a look, all of them knowing that whatever had happened to them was not natural. Once out of sight, the Rangers hit the buttons on their communicators and teleported to the Command Centre.

"Zordon, something's wrong with Tommy and Kimberly." Jason cried the moment they had materialized enough to speak.

"ALPHA, RUN A SCAN TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM." Alpha did just that and came up with confusing results.

"Aye yai yai! The scanner is unable to determine exactly what is wrong. It is coming up both positive and negative for a foreign substance inside them."

"Positive _and_ negative? How is that possible?" Trini asked. Billy walked over to Alpha and read the scanner. Taking it from the robot, he plugged it into the control panel and pressed a few buttons.

"It seems that there is indeed something in their system causing this reaction, but whatever it is not performing its intended purpose, and is in fact having no effect on them."

"No effect?" Jason growled in disbelief as he watched his sister and friend who were in obvious distress.

"Affirmative. That is why the scanner came back both positive and negative. There's something there, but it's doing nothing. Whatever is causing their distress is not coming from the foreign substance."

"Then where is it coming from?" Zack asked.

"The Crane and Falcon." Tommy muttered from his place on the floor, wrapped up in Kim. Upon arrival the two had sought out each other and clung to each other as if the other was going to disappear. "They're going insane."

"Why?" Jason asked, before mentally smacking himself. "Ok, stupid question, we know why. But what? And how?"

"Whatever was given to us was meant to separate us." Said Kim. "Or at least play with our hearts."

"Play with your hearts? Split you up how?"

"We don't know. But the Crane and Falcon stopped whatever it was."

"That would be the end of it if they weren't still convinced that something, or someone, was trying to separate them from their soul mate. As is, I don't think we'll be separating anytime soon."

"So let's figure out what that substance is and what its purpose was." Jason said.

"We won't be able to determine anything from this end." Billy said. "As their Animal Spirits neutralized the substance the scanner cannot determine what is was."

"So what do we do?" Zack asked.

"Do you remember anything before you collapsed? Anything unusual?" Kim and Tommy shook their heads.

"I just took a sip of my drink then…this."

"Me too. I'd just made myself a drink, took a sip, then collapsed."

"Well the one correlation here is that you both drank something first." Billy surmised. "Whatever it was was probably put into your drinks."

"But how? I'd just made mine and Kim had been drinking hers for awhile."

"Could it have just been in Tommy's drink, but because of the bond you both reacted?" suggested Trini.

"No. Whatever it was affected me too. Not just as a reaction to Tommy."

"Either way, we have to get our hands on those drinks." Said Jason.

"I hope they're still there." Trini said as she and Jason teleported back to the Youth Centre, returning a few minutes later with the cup Kim had been drinking from.

"Tommy dropped his when he collapsed, but Ernie hadn't cleared our table yet." Jason handed the cub to Billy who, along with Alpha, began running tests. Several minutes later, the Ranges attention was drawn to Billy as he made a sound of combined shock and disgust.

"Billy, what is it?" Trini asked.

"It appears they were fed a love potion." He responded, his shock gone and disgust at whoever did this fully set in.

"A love potion?" Jason exclaimed. "Like one that was supposed to make them fall in love with someone else and break them up? Who would do something like that? Well ok, we know who." Jason began pacing as anger welled up inside him, unable to believe that even Rita and Zedd would try something like this. After everything they had been through, the bond, finding out they were mates, the ancient power attached to their Animal Spirits and the prophecy, how could someone try to break them apart? Jason stopped pacing as a thought hit him.

"They don't know." He muttered to the confusion of his friends.

"Who doesn't know what?" Zack asked when he took too long before elaborating.

"Rita and Zedd. They have no idea about the bond or their Animal Spirits being mates, and certainly not about the prophecy. They think it's a love like any other person's and a simple love potion could break them up. But it can't, because it's not just a regular love, it's…fate…and they're much too strong for a potion to tear them apart, the Crane and Falcon won't let it happen."

"You're being very deductive today, Jason." Trini said suspiciously, though with no true feelings of worry or doubt. "Where are you going with this?"

"Let's draw them out." He said now in full on leader mode. "We have the advantage here, let's make them believe that it worked and play their game till they reveal their hand. Then we stomp on it and shut them down."

"You think this ruse will defeat Rita and Zedd?" Zack asked, now he was actually feeling doubt.

"No." Jason said dismissively. "But they've been trying to break us apart for awhile now, this is just their latest scheme, and this time they're trying to break apart the dream team. It's no secret Tommy and Kimberly are strongest when they're together. If they break up, we'd be down two powerful Rangers, and open to attack. And Kira." He paused for a moment, this particular unpleasant thought just entering his head. "We all protect her, but none more so then her parents. Billy, what exactly are the properties of the potion, besides making them fall in love with someone. How does it work?"

"The potion's effects were supposed to cause instantaneous love for the first person the drinker sees after having ingested the potion. They were to be completely devoted to that person, all other emotions pushed aside."

"So any other emotions, even their love for Kira, would be displaced, or pushed down or something?"  
"Affirmative."

"And with Tommy and Kimberly distracted that much, they wouldn't be around or even have a clear enough head to protect their daughter, nor themselves. Meaning we'd have to choose between saving them, or saving Kira."

"There's no way some potion would _ever_ push down our love for Kira." Tommy growled. "Not a chance."

"But they don't know that." Jason reiterated. "If this is their scheme, to break you apart and pick you off at the same time as getting their hands on Kira, let's call them on it. Or even if it isn't, they have something up their sleeves, some second part to the plan, and now we know about it, or at least enough to be on the lookout for it. We make them believe they've won then attack at the last minute."

"And show _our_ hand?" Trini asked. "If you're right and they don't know about the bond, do we really want to enlighten them?"

"We're not gonna give them specifics." Jason defended his plan, fully believing it to be a sound one. "They'll just know something's up, and they'll know that either way. If we go back and Tommy and Kim are still obviously in love they'll know their potion didn't work and wonder why. If we play them, they'll eventually find out their potion didn't work and will still wonder why, but it'll happen on our terms, and we'll deal them a big blow along the way."

"So what, Tommy and I have to pretend to be in love with other people?" Kim asked sceptically, more because the Crane and Falcon were shouting their disapproval of this plan rather then her thinking it's a bad one.

"Pretty much. Then we wait for their next move and cut it off. What do you think, Zordon?" Jason asked their mentor.

"IT IS INDEED A SOUND PLAN. MY ONE CONCERN IS IN TOMMY AND KIMBERLY'S ABILITY TO PRETEND TO BE UTTERLY DEVOTED AND IN LOVE TO SOMEONE ELSE. ONE SLIP UP COULD TIP OFF RITA AND ZEDD AND THE ENTIRE PLAN COULD BACK FIRE."

"They won't have to do it for long, Rita and Zedd aren't the most patient of beings. If we go back to the Youth Centre today and set the plan in motion, they'll probably try something tomorrow." Reasoned Trini.

"So who would you be in love with?" Zack asked with a tone of amusement. "Who were the first people you saw after drinking the potion?" Tommy and Kimberly thought for a moment.

"Katherine."

"Skull." They said at the same time.

"Well Skull is fortuitous." Said Billy. "We can include him in the plan."

"Is that wise?" Jason asked uncertainly. "Bulk and Skull aren't known for their discretion."

"They've kept our secret for two months now, and no one has even guessed that they were hiding something, let alone that it had to do with us or the Power Rangers."

"He's got a point." Zack conceded.

"What about Katherine?" Tommy asked. "We can't include her but I don't want to hurt her. We all know she has a crush on me, I don't want to get her hopes up just to stomp on them later."

"The Rangers will just have to make sure that Katherine, and everyone else, knows that it was a ploy by Rita and Zedd." Said Jason.

"That just happened to effect only two people who are supposed to have no connection to the Power Rangers?" asked Trini.

"They chose two random people to test out their potion before they put it to actual use, only we thwarted their plan."

"That's about as believable as we're gonna get." Zack agreed. "And weirder things have happened, with less believable, or even no, explanation." The Rangers had to concede that point; sometimes things were just too weird to even try to come up with a plausible explanation. Reluctantly agreeing with the plan, Tommy and Kim released each other and mentally prepared to put the plan into action before they all teleported back to the Youth Centre. It didn't take long to convince Skull to help them out; he was actually kind of excited to be helping the Rangers foil one of Rita and Zedd's plans. Once he was on board, Kim was the first to return to the main room and began to put their plan into action. Tommy returned not long after, they thought it was better if they didn't return together, and approached Katherine. She initially was so concerned about his health and what had happened that she did not notice he was flirting with her. When she did, she was stunned, having believed the potion hadn't worked. A quick look at Kimberly saw her shock increase seeing the brunette all over Skull. Her shock was mirrored by every occupant of the Youth Centre, none of them quite believing what they were seeing. As the night wore on, people fully believed that hell had frozen over. Tommy and Kimberly, Angel Grove High's premier couple, known throughout all of Angel Grove, were not only completely ignoring each other, but were completely wrapped up in other people. Looks to their friends gave no additional information for they too were obviously in shock. At closing time, Kim loudly asked Skull to take her home while Tommy offered to walk Katherine home. One couple parted amicably when they reached the DeLampert residence, feeling they had done their job and convinced the enemy the potion had worked. The other couple lingered at the door, one vying for a kiss while the other tried to get out of it, eventually citing the need to get back to his daughter, though he promised to see Katherine first thing in the morning. Once he entered his house, Tommy paused only long enough to fill his parents in. They had promised to do so wherever they could and all of them intended to keep that promise. He then teleported to Kim's house where the two met in an embrace, neither liking what they had just done and feeling the need to be near their mate as their Animal Spirits once again made their disapproval known. For the rest of the evening, the two cuddled up on the couch, Kira between them, and watched a movie until Kira fell asleep and they put her to bed before they too joined her in slumber.

**-T/K-**

The next day, Tommy and Kim were under constant scrutiny as word had traveled to those who had not been at the Youth Centre last night. As the day wore on, they began to feel their resolve crack and hoped that Trini was right and that Rita and Zedd would try something today. After school, Jason, Trini, Zack, and Billy left the two alone with Skull and Katherine, saying they couldn't watch their friends fall all over other people. In reality, two of them went to watch over Kira, while the other two split up, each taking to guarding one of the couples. Trini ended up being right and the attack came while the two couples were walking in the park, both keeping a good distance between them, but being close enough to watch over each other. Zack and Jason morphed immediately upon seeing the Putties, the two morphed Rangers arriving moments after both Tommy and Kim had landed the first kick.

"Alpha, teleport Skull and Katherine out of here now!" Jason said. His order was quickly followed and the two civilians disappeared. Across the park by the playground, Trini and Billy also morphed and jumped into action to protect Kira and Vivian and Mark who were babysitting. The Rangers had agreed that it was safer to have all three possible targets in close proximity to each other in case back up was needed. Trini also told Alpha to teleport Tommy's parents, and Kira, out, getting them to safety, before they began herding the Putties and monsters together.

Tommy and Kim made a show of working together to defeat the horde of Putties as well as Rito and Goldar. The two henchmen became confused as to why they were so in synch with each other while they were supposed to be in love with other people. But any confusion they felt had to be pushed down as the Rangers engaged them in battle. Rita and Zedd had unleashed a huge force against them, believing, as they had with their cloned Green Ranger, that this was a foolproof plan. Of course the Rangers had a tendency to prove the two evil monarchs were fools as their plans tended not to work out the way they wanted. With this many Putties, and two other monsters, it would certainly be a blow to Rita and Zedd when they defeated them.

"Shouldn't you be protecting Katherine?" Goldar asked Tommy when the two met in combat.

"While Kim's here? I don't think so."

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"The meaning, Goldilocks, is that your plan didn't work." Kim interjected as she joined Tommy in fighting the golden monkey. "A love potion can't break us up, not a chance." It didn't take long for Goldar and Rito to discover that they had been made, and as the last of their monsters fell, and didn't regenerate and grow big, probably because Rita and Zedd were also in shock, the two booked it out of there. The Rangers didn't stay around to celebrate, deciding instead to finish things first before they met at Tommy's house where they could celebrate with Kira there.

Tommy and Kim de-morphed and allowed Jason and Zack to teleport them back to the Youth Centre. They arrived just outside and an excited crowd began to form seeing two Power Rangers.

"It's ok, you're safe now." Jason said to Tommy and Kimberly, making sure the crowd could hear him. Then, just as rehearsed, Skull chose that moment to run over to Kim.

"Lambchop you're safe!" he cried, flinging his arms around her and pulling her close.

"Skull what are you doing?" Kim asked as she freed herself from his grasp with some help from an outwardly irate Tommy.

"Making sure my honey bun is safe. Our date did get interrupted."

"Date?!" Both Kim and Tommy asked. "What the hell happened?"

"I think we can answer that." The Black Ranger spoke up, instantly drawing the attention of the crowd. "Rita and Zedd's latest plan was to try and make us their servants through a loyalty potion. They chose people to test it on, and I'm sorry to say, those people were you two."

"We were under a spell?" Kim asked.

"A potion, and yes. Whatever happened that was out of the ordinary was Rita and Zedd's doing." Jason said, his eyes shifting to Katherine who had arrived just in time to hear that last part.

"Man, I can't believe it." Tommy muttered.

"It is hard to believe, but it's true. We're sorry you got dragged into this, but it's over now, you should be fine." With those parting words Zack and Jason teleported out to meet up with the others before they finished up their part by returning to the Youth Centre in a panic having heard their friends were involved in the latest monster attack.

"Skull I'm so sorry." Kim said. "I never meant to play you."

"I know. I guess it was just too good to be true." He said dejectedly, playing his part well.

"Isn't it better though that we're friends?"

"Friends?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, friends!" Kim, along with the crowd, laughed at the sudden turn around.

"Come on, I'll treat you to a smoothie." She said, and with a look to Tommy for approval, linked arms with Skull, leading him into the Youth Centre. Tommy took that time to approach Katherine who was standing off to the side, the dejection in her face obviously not an act.

"Hey, Katherine."

"Hi Tommy." She muttered.

"I'm so sorry this happened. I can't believe something like this happened, and I'm even more sorry you got hurt in the process."

"I guess we were just not meant to be."

"I'm not gonna lie to you. I love Kimberly with all my heart, our daughter too, and I can't imagine life without them. But you're important to me too, Katherine. You're my friend and I'd like us to stay friends, if we can." He waited patiently for her response and wasn't disappointed.

"Yeah, we're still friends." Katherine said with a small smile.

"Smoothies are on me." He said with a smile of his own, following Kim's lead.

"Are you guys ok?!" Jason cried as he and the others ran into the Youth Centre some ten minutes later. Tommy and Kim said yes and launched into the whole tale, gushing about meeting the Power Rangers for the benefit of those listening in, and to the amusement of those who knew their identities. The Rangers stayed long enough to ensure that everyone was ok after what had happened and that their story had been accepted. Skull and Katherine walked them to the exit to show there were no hard feelings. Warm goodbyes were said, and Skull and Katherine waved them off.

"It's too bad this happened, but I'm glad to be their friend." Skull said, to which Katherine agreed.

"Yes, me too." Skull smiled at her and turned to go back inside while Katherine remained and stared at Tommy and Kim's retreating backs

'_I don't know what you did, Kimberly, but he will be mine.'_

* * *

**A/N - Some more jealousy from Katherine and Kim's catching on, which really didn't happen in the show no matter how obvious it was. There's only about two more chapters with Katherine being evil, but she won't be going anywhere afterwards. **

**I've had some questions regarding Katherine's jealousy and Kim's reaction, some even requesting Kim put Katherine in her place. So just to make it clear, it's not going to happen. Sorry to disappoint some people. A part of me, the part that dislikes Katherine (though hates the bad writing of Zeo more) would love to have Kim put Katherine in her place, but, although Kim's not gonna let Katherine get anywhere with Tommy, it's not in her character to do so, she's too nice and warm hearted. I also don't hate Katherine, I did write a Kat centric fic after all...I just really hate Zeo and the blatant disregard to character that was "the letter" just so Tommy could have an on screen girlfriend. I'm re-watching the series now that they're coming out on DVD and recently finished "the letter" episodes, which completely reminded me why Zeo is kind of a lost season for me. Out of all the seasons I've seen the least of Zeo. Until now anyways, I'm forcing myself to watch them all.**

**Anyways, explanation & rant over with...**

**Review please!**


	22. A Pink Predicament

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

* * *

**Chapter 22 – A Pink Predicament**

* * *

The rest of the week passed without incident. Rita and Zedd seemed to be licking their wounds and trying to figure out where their plan had gone wrong. The Rangers took advantage of the lull to hang out and just relax. Friday after school found the Rangers at the Youth Centre, each of them occupied in some manner: Tommy was behind the bar working, Zack was teaching his dance class, Billy and Jason were sparring, and Kimberly was practicing on the beam for the first time in weeks, while Trini spotted her. Kira was sound asleep in her playpen, her father, Bulk, Skull and Ernie all watching over her with her mom and aunt and uncles close by. Katherine was sitting at a table reading the paper and trying to catch Tommy's eye with frequent drink orders, when an article caught her eye.

"Kimberly come here!" She called excitedly. Kim did as she was bid and began reading the article Katherine was pointing at.

" '_World famous gymnastics coach Gunther Schmidt is passing through Angel Grove today on his way to Los Angeles. Coach Schmidt has been taking a tour of America scouting out promising young gymnasts to compete in the Pan Global Games held in Daytona Florida next summer. During his tour of America, Coach Schmidt has frequented small towns, having always believed that it is not just the big cities that create champions. In choosing to pass through this area south of LA, Coach Schmidt has the opportunity to take a look at some of the promising talent in the area, including Angel Grove's own Kimberly Hart, who, until giving birth to a daughter last year, brought minor fame to Angel Grove through winning many local and state wide competitions...' _" Kim stopped reading unable to believe the words in front of her.

"Gunther Schmidt?" She murmured in disbelief. "He's a legend."

"Who's a legend?" Tommy asked as he brought the girls drinks.

"Gunther Schmidt. He's a world famous gymnastics coach and he's in Angel Grove today."

"The paper did a piece on him and even mentioned Kimberly as a promising talent." Said Katherine. "This could be a great opportunity for her. If he likes her she could move to his training facility in Florida and gain international recognition at the Pan Globals."

"Florida?" Tommy turned to Kim, a look of despair and panic on his face.

"Relax, Handsome." She said with a smile and a kiss. "I'm not going anywhere. Besides, the chances of him ever even seeing my perform are slim." Though reassured, the thought had been planted in Tommy's mind and he spent the rest of the day thinking on it. Later on, Tommy had just come off shift, had picked Kira up from Bulk and Skull, who had been watching her since she woke up, and was now watching Kim as she once again practiced her dismount, when a blonde middle aged man entered the Youth Centre and came to stand beside him.

"Your friend is very talented." He said after a few minutes in a heavy German accent.

"Yeah, she's the best." Tommy agreed without taking his eyes off Kim.

"She is Kimberly Hart, no?"

"Yeah that's her." Hearing this stranger knew Kim's name had him finally turning to face the new comer, and do a double take.

"Hey, you're Gunther Schmidt." Said Tommy. "The famous gymnastics coach." The man nodded his head as Kim once again dismounted, this time getting it right.

"Yeah Kim!" Tommy cheered, getting Kira to clap along with him.

"Thanks, I finally…" She cut off when she saw who was standing beside her boyfriend. "Oh my God, you're Gunther Schmidt."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kimberly." He said, extending his hand for her to shake. "I enjoyed your performance. Is you coach around? I would very much like to discuss your career."

"I don't have a coach."

"No coach?! But this will not do!"

"I never competed in anything out of state so there was never really a point."

"There is always a point" He paused for a moment and debated with himself over something before coming to a decision. "Kimberly, I would very much like to coach you. I believe you have what it takes to compete, no win, the Pan Globals." Kim was momentarily stunned, but movement to her right snapped her out of it and she took her daughter from Tommy.

"I'm flattered. Really, you have no idea how much it means to me to hear you, of all people, say that. But I can't." She looked down at Kira and smiled, any hesitation about her decision evaporated when she looked at her little girl's face. "I have a daughter, and I can't, I won't, leave her to train."

"This is your child?" Coach Schmidt asked in surprise, having been too pre-occupied with watching Kim's routine to pay attention to the child that had been in Tommy's arms.

"Yeah, she's mine. Ours." Kim amended when Tommy came to stand beside her.

"I really wish you would reconsider." He said eventually. Not having any kids himself, he thought it wouldn't be too hard to part with her child for the six months of training then the games.

"No." Kim shook her head.

"I will tell you what. I do not have to be in LA for three days. Train with me for three days, and then give me your answer."

"Coach Schmidt, my answer will not change." Kim said, a content, yet sad, look on her face. "I will not leave my baby, it's not happening. I would love to train with you, but you're wasting your time on me. No matter how talented you think I am, I'm not leaving Angel Grove, and don't have the time to dedicate to training. My family comes first." Although disappointed, Coach Schmidt could not really fault her logic. He may not understand the pull a child has on a parent, but he understood that often children were a parent's whole world, and they would come first every time, no matter what. Telling her as much, Coach Schmidt left the Youth Centre, and prepared to depart for LA.

"I can't believe you gave up that opportunity." Katherine said.

"When you have a child, Katherine, you'll understand why I did." Although not rude, Kim was a little short with Katherine, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Tommy. Resolving to talk with her when they returned home, Tommy took back his daughter and waited while Kim changed. The ride home, the Hart house this week, was quiet, Kira's babbles, intermingled with a few actual words, being the only sounds. Andrew wasn't home yet and Kim and Tommy made themselves at home in the living room, putting Kira on the rug with some toys, and Barney on the TV.

"Why did you turn down Coach Schmidt?" Tommy asked once Kira was fully engrossed by the purple dinosaur.

"You heard why. I didn't lie, Tommy. I won't leave Kira. Not to mention we're Power Rangers."

"Kim it's always been your dream to compete in the Pan Globals, ever since you were a little girl, and now when you have entry to the competition handed to you, you turn it down?" Kim turned to face Tommy fully, feeling through their bond that he was thinking that if it wasn't for Kira, if it wasn't for his actions two years ago, she would have accepted.

"Tommy, you are not to blame for anything. Yes, for practically my entire life it's been my dream to compete, but I have a new dream now. One that involves you, and our daughter, and being there to raise her, not missing eight months of her life. You told me once that we can't live for 'what ifs' we can't know what would have happened if we hadn't have had Kira, or if we didn't become Rangers. This is my life now and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"But you were sad when you turned him down."

"Yeah, a bit. Gymnastics was such a huge part of my life, and filled my dreams for many years, of course I'm sad that that part of my life is over. I'll always love gymnastics, but I don't want to make it my career anymore. I'm not regretting this decision, Tommy. Never will I regret it, and never will I regret you, or our bond, and especially not Kira." She opened the bond to the fullest, allowing him to feel the truth in her words. She knew the moment he felt it for he smiled, all tension and uncertainty leaving him.

"There's nothing I want more either, and I don't regret you." He said, leaning over and giving her a kiss. "And Kira's a given." He added, earning a laugh from Kim and drawing Kira's attention away from Baby Bop who was doing a song and dance.

"Da!" she cried, a bit sharply and Kim and Tommy wondered if she was scolding them for interrupting Baby Bop. The two slid to the ground and reached for their daughter, beginning a tickle fight the one year old had no chance of winning, though she didn't seem to mind in the least and laughed up a storm. Tommy rolled onto his back and brought Kira with him, raising her high in the air and eliciting more laughs, both from the little girl herself, and her mother. This was what Andrew returned home to a while later, the two parents playing with their daughter, laughter and joy freely running through their small family.

**-T/K-**

The next day the Rangers planned a trip to the beach. Kimberly was supposed to meet Tommy at the Youth Centre after his shift and they'd head over together, so Kim packed Kira up, along with her regular entourage of baby stuff plus an additional bag full of beach toys, and Kim and Tommy's bag of towels and sunscreen and the like. Arriving at the Youth Centre, Kim saw Katherine sitting alone at a table on the patio and mentally smacked herself for not having invited their new friend. Deciding to rectify that immediately, Kim approached the blonde who barely even looked up from her book upon her approach.

"Hey, Katherine, a bunch of us are going swimming at the lake, you wanna come?"

"Oh that's really sweet, Kimberly, but I'm not very fond of water."

"Oh, ok." Though feeling a little dejected, Kim didn't let the feeling stay for long, instead she turned to her daughter who was comfortably settled on her hip.

"Well, let's go find daddy."

"No need." He said, having snuck up on them. Kira immediately reached out for her father who happily took her into his arms, a big smile on his face.

"Hey sweetie. Well are you guys coming to the beach or what?" He asked.

"I am, but Katherine-"

"Changed her mind." Said the blonde, quickly standing up. "After all, how am I going to meet people if I don't venture out? I'll just run home and get my suit."

"Alright, great." Said Tommy.

"We'll meet you there." Kim said, as she and Tommy left for their car.

"You know she still has a crush on you." Kim said once they were out of earshot.

"Hey, can I help it if I'm just that awesome?" Tommy joked. Kim shot him an un-amused look.

"Be thankful you're holding our daughter right now or I'd so smack you upside the head."

"I know." Kim finally laughed and shook her head.

"You're incorrigible." She said as they strapped Kira into her car seat and drove off. It wasn't long before they arrived at the beach and quickly located their friends, who had set up the towels and chairs and umbrellas. Kim and Tommy joined them and quickly got Kira set up, Jason helping a lot with unpacking of the toys and the playing with them as well. Katherine arrived not long after the others and sat fully clothed on her towel as they others played and swam, enjoying the sun and still warm water. That was the good thing about living in southern California, temperatures never really got anywhere near freezing, staying on average 18C-20C in the dead of winter, so a day at the beach could happen all year round. About a half hour later, their day was interrupted by a group of Tengas. The other patrons of the beach quickly scattered and it was a testament to how much Bulk and Skull had grown that instead of running away like the others, they ran towards Tommy, who had been playing in the sand with Kira, scooped up the child and then ran off, leaving her family to fight off the Tengas with a clear mind, knowing she was safe. Once every civilian was clear, the Rangers grouped together, ready to power up.

"Ninja Ranger Power!" Jason cried and swinging their arms in a wide arch before bringing them together, the Rangers called on their Ninjetti powers and began taking the Tengas down.

A little ways away, where the Rangers had stashed their bags, Katherine approached Kim's bag and began rifling around inside. She quickly found what she was looking for and took hold of the Crane Power Coin, placing it in her pocket. Then, snooping for more, she came across two pictures, one of Tommy and Kim with a newborn Kira, and the other with the two lovebirds holding hands, obviously enjoying a day at the park.

"He won't be yours for long, Kimberly." She muttered, stashing the picture away in her pocket, Katherine eyed Trini's bag, which sat innocently next to Kim's.

"Trini's Power Coin. As long as I'm here, why not?" But before she could even open the bag, she was interrupted by the arrival of Bulk and Skull, the latter of whom was carrying a very familiar baby.

"Excuse me, miss, as Angel Grove Junior Police officers, it is our sworn duty to lead you to safety." Bulk said. The two motioned for Katherine to follow them and then proceeded to run ahead of her, getting themselves, and Kira, as far away from the battle as they could.

Back at the beach, Kimberly felt a strange sensation run through her, one that came with a shot of dread.

"Tommy!" Kim cried as she fell to the ground, suddenly very weak.

"Hang on, Kimberly!" Tommy too had felt it and was instantly on high alert. Leaving his group of Tengas in favour of helping his mate, Tommy launched himself at the Tenga that was about to hit Kim in the back. He quickly dispatched the others, the protectiveness for his mate causing him to show more aggressiveness than usual. When the Tengas were gone, the Rangers converged on Kim who looked dazed and was taking slow deep breaths.

"Kim are you ok?" Jason asked his baby sister. Tommy sent Jason a look that clearly said she wasn't alright, but had no idea what was wrong with her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was really weird."

"Kim, you're not alright." Tommy insisted.

"I don't know what happened, I just felt really weak for a minute. But I'm fine now." Tommy didn't believe her, but with no idea what exactly was going on, he had to let it go. Needing to know where her daughter was, Kim called Ernie on the communicator, hoping Bulk and Skull had taken her to the Youth Centre, and breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed that they had.

"I guess we should get over there." Kim said. "They're supposed to be on patrol today so it doesn't feel right dumping Kira on them."

"Yeah, you right." Tommy agreed, but before they could even pack up, their communicators went off.

"We read you Zordon." Said Jason.

"RANGERS, GOLDAR AND A GROUP OF TENGAS HAVE BEEN LET LOOSE IN THE PARK."

"Again?" Tommy asked. "We'd better get down there." They started to move towards their bags, but had only taken a few steps when they realized Kim wasn't with them. "What is it?" Tommy asked, as he ran back to her, noting her laboured breathing and hand on her head as if to guard from a headache.

"I don't know. I've never felt like this before. I'll be ok." She insisted, and pulled Tommy along to where they had left their bags, and their Morphers and Power Coins. A quick search through her bag revealed another problem.

"You guys, my Power Coin is missing!"

"What?!" Trini asked, grabbing Kim's bag and taking a look herself. Coming up with nothing she turned to the others, a panicked look on her face.

"Woah." Kim muttered as she grabbed her head and lowered herself into the picnic bench. Suddenly pink energy began to radiate through her body, making the weird, weak feeling return. "What's happening to me?"

"Your body seems to be experiencing some kind of energy drain." Billy said.

"Zordon, this is Tommy come in."

"YES, TOMMY."

"Kimberly's Power Coin is missing. She seems to be getting weaker."

"IT MUST HAVE FALLEN INTO EVIL HANDS. THIS IS THE ONLY EXPLANATION. YOU MUST USE YOUR POWER COINS TO RECHARGE KIMBERLY UNTIL SHE'S STRONG ENOUGH TO BE TELEPORTED TO THE COMMAND CENTRE."

"Right." Tommy sent a desperate look to the others and Jason quickly got the idea.

"We'll handle Goldar and the Tengas. You stay with Kim." Tommy nodded his thanks and sat down with Kimberly. He took her hand in his and began to channel his power into her. A few minutes later, Kim was strong enough to teleport to the Command Centre where she and Tommy waited for their friends to return. It didn't take long for the four Rangers to defeat the Tengas and repel Goldar and they had waited maybe ten minutes when four beams of light entered the Command Centre.

"How is she?" Zack asked.

"Not good." Tommy responded. Although strong enough to teleport, Kim was barely coherent.

"Zordon, what's gonna happen to her?" Trini asked.

"Our life force should not be attached to our Power Coins." Billy responded, remembering back to when Tommy had lost the Green Ranger powers. "Our powers bonded to us, but we should be fine without them."

"THAT IS TRUE WITH YOUR OLD POWERS." Zordon said. "THE DINO POWERS FROM WHEN YOU FIRST BECAME POWER RANGERS WERE INDEED BONDED TO YOU, BUT YOU COULD SURVIVE WITHOUT THEM. YOUR NINJETTI POWERS, HOWEVER, ARE INHERENTLY TIED TO YOUR LIFE FORCE. YOUR ANIMAL SPIRITS ARE A PART OF YOU AND YOUR NEW POWER COINS WERE CREATED DIRECTLY FROM THEM, FROM A PART OF YOU."

"So it's like a part of Kimberly is missing." Billy surmised, latching on to this new information.

"THAT IS CORRECT, BILLY."

"But it's just a part of her right?" Asked Jason. "She can live with only a part of her missing."

"FOR THE TIME BEING YES, BUT UNLESS HER POWER COIN IS RETURNED TO HER, SHE WILL EVENTUALLY DIE."

"Die?" Tommy whispered, his mind shutting down after he heard that word. The Flacon reared up screeching its denial and disbelief and somewhere further down, Tommy felt that special power awaken as if in preparation to be unleashed.

"Kimberly!" His brain was instantly turned back on when the petite brunette collapsed. Tommy caught her before she hit the ground as he watched with frantic eyes as her body was overrun with pink energy.

"WE MUST FIND HER COIN, AND FAST."

"I think we all know where her Coin is." Jason growled. No one denied his statement, for who else would have taken the Power Coin but Rita and Zedd?

"But how are we going to get it back? Storm the Moon Palace?" Trini asked. The Rangers began throwing ideas back and forth, wondering as to the best way to retrieve Kim's Coin. None of them noticed that Tommy was not a part of the discussion until the air became thick with energy that crackled around them. A light began to form behind them and they turned to see Tommy, who was still hunched over, clutching Kimberly, glowing a bright white while green energy ran through him. Knowing the green could mean nothing good, no one moved or said a word, fearing what he would do. Eventually the light died down, though the green energy did not disappear, continuing to run over Tommy just as the pink energy ran over Kim. Tommy stood with Kim in his arms, turning to face the others. His expression was one of calm determination with an undercurrent of rage, and his eyes were flashing green, though they remained green far longer then any had seen since he was the Evil Green Ranger. Tommy walked forward and handed Kim over to Jason. The last time it had made an appearance, the primitive power that had overtaken Tommy, that was only concerned with his family's safety, had recognized Jason not as a threat planning to take Kim away from him, but as an ally, her brother, and apart from Tommy himself, Jason was about the only one this power would trust with Kim.

"I have infused her with some of my power." He said, his voice lower and huskier then anyone remembered. "It should keep her stable for now. I am going to retrieve Kira and bring her here where she will be safe. Then I'm going to get the Crane back." It was then that the Rangers understood. Their Animal Spirits' power was concentrated in their Power Coins. You do not need a Power Coin to be Ninjetti, but rather to be a Power Ranger. When they found the Great Power on Pheados, it had granted their wish to become Rangers once more, creating the new Power Coins; but to maintain them, their Animal Spirits had to practically merge with the coins. With Kim's Power Coin gone, it was as if the Crane itself was gone, or nearly gone, as only traces of the Spirit remained in Kim. The Crane could fully merge with Kim again, saving her life, but her Power Coin would then be lost, and Earth would be down a Power Ranger. Kim and the Crane are one, and so even though it could merge with Kim, it understood that that would be only an absolute last resort, Kim having to be seconds from death. The Crane understood that it had to give their friends time to search for another way to save Kim, and keep the Pink Ranger. The bond Tommy and Kim shared allowed them to feel each other, and also the Falcon and Crane to feel each other, but with the Crane almost completely separated from Kim, the Falcon could no longer feel its mate. The panic that Tommy felt was amplified by the Falcon, and the two of them had awakened the Green Ranger powers that lay dormant inside Tommy. When Tom had merged with him all those months ago, the Green Ranger powers had returned to him, being accessible only when they were most needed; when Kim or Kira were in immediate danger, when the evil beings that threatened his family crossed a line. As it stood now, Tommy was supercharged and ready to tear into the ones who had put Kim in this situation, and with the ferocious look on his face, the green, glowing eyes and the power that radiated off him, the Rangers almost pitied Rita and Zedd. Almost. They had gone too far this time. Jason nodded to Tommy, silently letting him know he'd take care of Kim until he returned. Tommy teleported out and arrived at the Youth Centre, immediately heading into the main room and over to Bulk and Skull.

"Hey, Tommy, we…everything alright?" Bulk began but dropped off seeing the look on Tommy's face and his eyes flashing green.

"No." he answered, with these two in the know, he didn't have to pretend, but nor did he have to explain himself. He reached for his daughter, holding her close and his eyes stayed brown a few seconds longer with her close proximity. He said nothing else as he walked back out of the Youth Centre. Seeing that there were people by the lockers that he usually used for teleportation, Tommy made his way outside and through the patio, intending to teleport behind the building. His attention, however, was drawn to a photo that a certain blonde was looking at, a photo that he knew to have been in Kim's possession. Stopping for a moment, he looked at the photo trying to remember where exactly Kim had kept it.

"He won't be yours for long, Kimmie." Katherine muttered, tearing the photo in half and crumpling the side with Kimberly, while keeping the one with Tommy, all the while completely oblivious to Tommy's presence behind her. Tommy, for his part, had completely tensed up. He remembered now where Kim kept that particular photo, and hearing Katherine say those words, some things seemed to fall into place. Rita and Zedd upping their game at the same time Katherine arrived in Angel Grove, her crush on him and thinly veiled dislike of Kim, the potion which would see him fall in love with her and her quick acceptance of it, though she knew he loved Kimberly, and finally, the missing Power Coin and Katherine's possession of a picture Kim kept in her backpack, exactly where her Power Coin had been. A part of his mind knew that everything was really actually just circumstantial, but a larger part, the one being dominated by the Green Ranger powers and his need to save Kim, was convinced.

"It was you." He muttered lowly. Katherine whipped her head around, her mouth falling open as she stared at Tommy in utter disbelief.

"Tommy…" she whispered, unable to say anything else, especially when she saw the feral look on his face and the glowing green eyes.

"It was you." He repeated. "You're working for them. You stole Kim's Power Coin."

"Tommy, I-"

"Do you deny it?" he growled, taking a menacing step towards her. "Well do you?!" Katherine merely shook her head, words failing her as she truly felt fear rise up inside her.

"Be thankful my daughter is here." He all but breathed. "Or I would not be responsible for my actions." Before he could do any harm, Tommy teleported out, oblivious to his surroundings, though luck was on his side and the patio was currently empty. Arriving back in the Command Centre, Tommy gently handed Kira off to Trini before going off to the side and releasing his anger on the durasteel door, unable to do it any damage with his fists, but making him feel better. Kira began to cry at the noise, as well seeing her father so unrestrained. Jason ran out of the hallway that led to the med bay upon hearing all the noise. He tampered down his first instinct to go over to Tommy, believing that to be about the worst thing he could do right now. Instead he went over to Kira and helped Trini calm her down. It took awhile, but when Tommy calmed down, Kira did as well. Although a little weary, she allowed her father to take her into his arms, relaxing when he cooed at her as he always did, proving he was the father she knew again.

"Tommy what happened?" Trini asked, when things were calm once more.

"It was Katherine, Katherine stole Kim's Power Coin. She's working with Rita and Zedd."

"What?!" they cried, unable to believe it.

"How do you know?" Zack asked.

"She had a picture that Kim keeps in her backpack-"

"So? She's got a crush on you. Petty thievery is-"

"She didn't deny it when I confronted her."

"Well that's a little more concrete, but still, Tommy how are you sure?"

"I don't…I don't know…" he said, warring with himself right now over whether or not to go back and kill Katherine. The Green Ranger was demanding retribution, that the one responsible for Kim currently fighting for her life must pay. The conscience that was Tommy Oliver, the one pushed down by the Green Ranger, screamed at him that it was wrong, that Katherine was Rita's puppet just as he had been and that she needed their help.

"Tommy I know that you want revenge, but if Katherine is working for them she's been turned evil." Said Billy. "Just like you were."

"A part of me knows that, which is why I haven't killed her yet."

"Yet?" asked Trini. "Tommy you can't kill her."

"I know. I'm just trying to convince the other guy of that." The others nodded, knowing the turmoil he must be in.

"So what now?" Zack asked once the tension in the air eased just a bit.

"Now I'm going to get the Crane back." He kissed Kira on the head and handed her back to her godparents before disappearing in a flash of green.

"What do we do?" Zack asked again.

"We deal with them." Jason said, nodding his head in the direction of the Viewing Globe, which had lit up to reveal a group of Tengas attacking in the park.

"Rita and Zedd must be trying to draw us out while we're weak and divided." Billy said, a fact which none of them could deny.

"Well, looks like it's going to work." Zack muttered as he and the others morphed into action.

* * *

**A/N - Like I said, Kim's not going anywhere, but I still wanted her to meet her childhood idol. I know in the show Tommy went to fight the Tengas with Ninjor while the others stayed with Kim, but I don't think my Tommy would leave his mate right now, and, in case it wasn't obvious enough, Ninjor does not exist in this story. **

**Next chapter wraps up the Katherine being evil arc, then it's basically right into the beginning of Zeo, though there will be at least three more chapters before they actually get their Zeo powers. Plus chapter 24, right after the end of this story arc, was really fun to write and a long time in the making, which I'm excited about!**

**Review please!**


	23. A Different Shade of Pink

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 23 – A Different Shade of Pink**

* * *

When Tommy left the Command Centre, he teleported right into Zedd's throne room. This was no stealth mission, Kim's life was in danger and he was pissed. Zedd and Rita were shocked by his appearance, having expected the Rangers to try and retrieve the Coin, but not the Green Ranger who stood before them. Goldar, having always underestimated Tommy, and all the Rangers for that matter, immediately made to attack him, only to be thrown back by a power burst.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you." Tommy warned before turning his attention to the big bosses. "Give me Kim's Power Coin and I'll let you live." He got straight to the point, neither having the time nor the desire to beat around the bush.

"And why would we do that?" Zedd asked with false bravado. There was a reason he had tried to get Tommy on his side as his Evil Green Ranger, just as Rita had. Tommy alone would have been a great asset in his quest to concur Earth, Tommy as the Green Ranger even more so for he became a force to be reckoned with and feared, having been the closest anyone had ever come to defeating the Power Rangers. Now here he stood as the Green Ranger, but with the White Ranger powers, and his Ninjetti powers, at his fingertips. Zedd had good reason to be scared, though he didn't know quite yet just how much. Tommy leapt into action, surging forward and knocking Zedd into the wall and grabbing his neck to hold him in place.

"I really wouldn't test me right now if I were you." Tommy hissed. Goldar tried to pry Tommy off his master, but he wouldn't even budge. Tommy stared Zedd down, waiting for some kind of answer, but when none came, he pulled away of his own accord and stood facing the evil villain.

"You underestimate me." He said. "You believe me to be a Power Ranger, incapable of murder in cold blood, even if it is our mortal enemy I kill. Normally, I would agree with you. Our morals and sense of right and wrong is what has kept this war between us going for so long. You believe yourself to be stronger because we have morals and there are certain things we would never do that you wouldn't think twice about doing. But the reality is we are far stronger than you are. We've held you back this long, dealing you blow after blow, all with our morals." Tommy took a menacing step forward as he continued.

"Now imagine if we didn't have them. If we'd been pushed over the edge and no longer cared about the means to the end. If we fought like you, you'd be history. You know it to be true, that's why I heard fear in your voice when I appeared; for no matter how much you think stealing Kim's Power Coin would deal us a blow, you realize now it was a mistake, for you've pushed _me_, of all people, over the edge." He came to a stop in the middle of the room, right in front of Zedd's throne. He brought his hands in front of him and a ball of energy appeared. "Now I'm gonna give you ten seconds to give me Kim's Power Coin." The ball of energy began to grow until it enveloped Tommy. As it continued to grow, engulfing Zedd's throne, the stone chair disintegrated, vanishing entirely under the force of Tommy's power. "Or I'll destroy this entire palace, with all of you in it." No one said a word as they watched the ball grow even bigger. It was when it consumed a group of Tengas, disintegrating them as well, that Zedd took Tommy's threat seriously.

"Goldar! Bring me the Pink Ranger's Power Coin." His shock rendering him speechless, the golden monkey nodded and vanished on the spot, reappearing seconds later with the small golden coin in his hand. He gave it to Zedd, who held it in his hand, eyeing his nemesis, before he held it out to him. Tommy stepped forward, out of the ball of energy and reached for the Coin, using his Falcon Spirit to determine if it was indeed the real thing. When the Falcon confirmed it, Tommy then prepared to head back to the Command Centre, except as he reached through the bond to Kimberly, he discovered that she was no longer in the safety of the med bay, but being attacked by Tengas. His shock and cold fear as he realized she was fighting in her weakened state snapped his concentration on the energy orb, making it snap back to its original size before fading. Tommy didn't waste any time and immediately teleported out, leaving behind a group of very shocked, angry, and even scared evil villains.

"Zeddy…" Rita whispered as she surveyed the half destroyed throne room. It was a testament to her shock that her usually loud, screechy voice was quiet for once.

"It know." He growled. "It seems Tommy is far more powerful than we thought. Quite possibly even more powerful than Zordon himself." Zedd turned to stare at Earth and wondered, for the first time, if Zordon was really his ultimate enemy.

**-T/K-**

As Tommy scared the inhabitants of the Moon Palace, and the other Rangers fought Tengas in the park, Kim awoke from her slumber. She lifted her head and looked around, seeing she was in the med bay, then stood up, determined to no longer lie there. She had no idea how long she had been out for and needed to find out what was going on. The short walk from the med bay to the main chamber took its toll on Kimberly, but that toll vanished when she heard her baby's cry.

"Ma!" Cried Kira from her playpen, where she'd been placed with her toys. Kim rushed over and scooped her baby up, holding her close as she went back to the main platform and observed the Viewing Globe.

"Zordon, what's going on?" she asked, needing to be filled in.

"THE RANGERS ARE FIGHTING RITO AND HIS GANG OF TENGAS. RITO SEEMS VERY DETERMINED TO WIN THIS BATTLE, IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY ONE."

"Where's Tommy?"

"TOMMY HAS GONE TO THE MOON TO RETRIEVE YOUR POWER COIN."

"Alone?!" Kim cried, whipping around to face her mentor.

"YES."

"Oh god…"

"KIMBERLY, YOU SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT TOMMY HAS ACCESSED THE GREEN RANGER POWERS AND IF THE POWER THAT RADIATED OFF HIM SO STRONGLY IS ANY INDICATION, LORD ZEDD AND RITA DO NOT STAND A CHANCE AGAINST HIM."

"Still, he's there all alone."

"Aye yai yai! Katherine is surrounded by Tengas!" Alpha cried, having continued to watch Viewing Globe. Kim turned back around and sure enough, separated from the Rangers, a group of Tengas had cornered Katherine.

"Oh no. I have to help her!"

"YOU ARE IN NO STATE TO FIGHT." Zordon said firmly. "I CAN SEE THAT THE SMALL EXERTION OF STANDING AND STAYING AWAKE HAS ALREADY TAKEN ITS TOLL ON YOU. YOUR PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS TO STAY ALIVE."

"I can't just let them hurt her!"

"YOU SHOULD ALSO BE MADE AWARE THAT TOMMY GREATLY SUSPECTS THAT KATHERINE IS WORKING FOR RITA AND ZEDD AND THAT SHE STOLE YOUR POWER COIN." Although slightly shocked, it didn't deter Kim.

"Even if Tommy's right, she's still human. Rita and Zedd are using her, just like they did Tommy. She needs help."

"IF TOMMY IS RIGHT, THIS COULD BE A TRAP TO LURE YOU AWAY FROM THE SAFETY OF THE COMMAND CENTRE."

"And if he isn't right then I'm letting Rita and Zedd harm an innocent being, which is exactly what I've sworn not to let happen."

"YOU REALIZE THE RISK YOU ARE TAKING." Zordon tried once more. "YOUR VERY LIFE IS AT STAKE." Tears came to Kim's eyes as she looked at her daughter and thought of not being around to see her grow up. Although the thought pained her more than anything, she knew Kira would be loved and taken care of even if she were gone.

"I'm a Power Ranger, Zordon. I've known the risk since you first gave me my Power Coin. I don't want to die; I want to watch Kira grow up. But I can't just sit back and do nothing. It's a risk I'm going to have to take."

"YOUR BRAVERY KNOWS NO BOUNDS, KIMBERLY. AND I SHALL LOOK FORWARD TO TELLING YOU SO AGAIN WHEN YOU RETURN SAFELY." Even though he knew there was a possibility that Kim would not come out of this battle alive, he could not bring himself to send her off with words of farewell. "GOOD LUCK, KIMBERLY. AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU ALWAYS." Kim nodded to her pseudo father before hugging Kira tight and giving her one last kiss before she put her back in her playpen, hoping it would not be the last time she laid eyes on her daughter.

"Alpha, please teleport me there so I can conserve energy. Ninja Ranger Power!" Kim went into this battle in the less powerful of her transformed states, knowing she'd never be able to hold her actual morph.

"Alright bird brains, prepare to be fricassee!" Kim's bravado did not fool the Tengas, who had obviously been informed that she would be weak. They attacked with a vengeance and she was barely able to hold them off.

"Run!" she called to Katherine when the Tengas were sufficiently distracted. In response Katherine smiled evilly and stood back to watch the show, her eyes flashing red. Tommy already knew she worked for Rita and Zedd, there was no point hiding it anymore. More disappointed then shocked, Kim continued her battle with the Tengas. After a few minutes, she was able to destroy one of them, but three more took its place.

"Why don't you give up, Kimmie?" Katherine called, using Rita's favourite nickname for the Pink Ranger.

"Because you're not evil!" Kim called back, causing Katherine to stop smiling and merely stare. As Kim continued to fight, getting beat time and time again, innumerable thoughts and feelings ran through Katherine. Eventually, a Tenga landed a hard blow to Kim's midsection, throwing her to where Katherine sat.

"Why are you still fighting?" Katherine asked, suddenly confused. She'd done everything she could to hurt Kim, even put her very life in danger, but here she was, fighting what could possibly be her last battle, for her.

"You're my friend, Katherine. I'll never stop fighting for you."

"But I'm not in danger." She reasoned as a Tenga came and grabbed Kim by the arm, flinging her around towards the others.

"We're all in danger from Rita and Zedd. You're human, Katherine. Rita and Zedd are just using you, as they've used others before you, and when you've outgrown your usefulness, they'll get rid of you, and I'm not gonna let that happen!" Unbeknownst to Katherine, the war that waged in her head, the spell versus her real self, was the same one Tommy had fought when he first came to Angel Grove. Rita's spell was weakening, in large part because she had believed Katherine to be weak she had not maintained the spell as she had had to do with Tommy. But Katherine wasn't weak, and the spell began to crack as she heard Kim's words, and watched as the Pink Ranger fought for her, as well as for her own life.

"Oh no, Kim." She muttered as she watched a Tenga land a particularly powerful kick to Kim's back. Her eyes flashed red briefly, but this time, instead of beating down her true self, replacing her with Rita's servant, Katherine fought back, taking in Kim's losing battle and failing energy. This time when Kim got knocked down, she did not get back up and what little power she had left disappeared, taking her Ninjetti robes with it. The Tengas swarmed around her, ready to finish her off, but seeing her friend about to be killed caused Katherine to give one final push, shattering the spell.

"Kimberly!" She cried, running to Kim's side and jump kicking the nearest Tenga. With no powers, Rita's having left her when the spell broke, the battle was heavily in the Tengas' favour. Katherine could not hold them off for long, and it seemed that all she had accomplished was giving the Tengas two kills instead of one. Just when she thought she was a goner, a large blast of energy hit the Tengas, pushing them back. Katherine looked to her right and laid eyes on a Power Ranger she had never seen before: a Green one.

"Get away from her." Tommy growled as he approached Katherine and Kim. Doing as asked, Katherine stepped back and allowed him to come forwards, watching as he stopped in front of Kim and took her into his arms.

"Tommy…?" she whispered, unsure if this was indeed him, and completely confused as to why he would be in a green suit.

"Yeah, that's him." Came a voice to her left. She looked over to see the other Power Rangers, still fully morphed, and keeping a certain distance between them and Tommy.

"But…how?" Katherine asked.

"It's a really long story." Jason admitted. "And we can't, and won't, tell a lot of it."

"You're back?" Trini asked, placing a hand on Katherine's shoulder and looking her in the eye, searching for any sign of evil.

"Yeah. Thanks to Kimberly."

"We're glad you're back." Billy said, and Katherine could detect no lie in his voice, nor a hint of him just saying that because he was a Power Ranger and was supposed to be glad when the people of Earth were safe.

"And this is where we step in." Zack said, nodding to the Tengas who had recovered and were approaching Tommy and Kimberly. The Rangers didn't hesitate and launched on the attack, keeping the Tengas away from their friends as Tommy did whatever he had to, to bring Kim back. As Kim had been far from full strength, there were many Tengas left, and the Rangers found themselves outnumbered. They knew they'd eventually defeat them, that wasn't the question, the question was whether or not they'd be able to keep this many Tengas away from Kim and Tommy. This question was answered a couple minutes later when a Tenga slipped passed them and made a beeline for their fallen friend. However, just before he could land a blow, a burst of power surged from Tommy and Kim, engulfing the Tengas and disintegrating them. The Rangers and Katherine were knocked backwards but otherwise came out unharmed. The power surrounding Tommy and Kim did not disappear once the threat was gone; instead it receded to create a dome around them and remained as a protective barrier. Through the energy shield, the Rangers and Katherine could make out Tommy who was cradling Kim to him, holding her as close as he could. Before their eyes, the light emanating from the barrier grew and turned a bright white. The power began with Tommy and slowly traveled through his body until it reached Kim where it slowly began to turn pink. The colours merged at the parts where their bodies touched; it was impossible to tell where the pink began and the white ended.

The Rangers breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the power surrounding Tommy was white, and not green. They breathed even easier when the cry of the Falcon was heard very closely followed by the Crane; the two Animal Spirits burst forth from their partners, circling overhead and revelling in the other's presence. The Falcon's joy at the return of his mate was visible. The Rangers too were visibly relieved, or would be if their helmets didn't cover their faces, at seeing that Tommy had been successful in retrieving Kim's Power Coin. When the light died down and the power receded, Tommy returned to normal, appearing in his street clothes and clutching a now conscience Kim, who was holding on to him just as tightly. The other Rangers de-morphed and went to join their friends while Katherine hung back, though she didn't leave.

"Ptera, you alright?" Jason asked immediately upon reaching her side.

"Yeah, Rex, I'm fine." She answered, smiling at the nicknames, which had stuck even though they no longer had their Dino powers. Tommy growled, obviously not convinced that regaining consciousness constituted 'alright.' His growl turned into a snarl upon seeing Katherine behind the Rangers. He may be in control of the Green Ranger powers now, instead of them controlling him, but it was a shaky control, and seeing one of the people responsible right at this moment wasn't helping.

"Katherine I'm glad you're alright." Kim called, placing a firm hand on Tommy. "But right now I don't think it's a good idea for you to be around Tommy." Katherine nodded, having expected nothing less.

"We'll look after her." Billy said to Kim, coming to stand beside the blonde. "You get Tommy out of here." Kim nodded her thanks. With her now back to normal, even if some people weren't entirely convinced, it was now her job to bring Tommy back and put the Green Ranger away; at least until he was needed again. Hitting the teleportation button on her communicator, she and Tommy teleported out, arriving a second later at the Command Centre.

"I AM GLAD YOU HAVE RETURNED SAFELY, KIMBERLY." Zordon said upon their arrival. He had watched everything on the Viewing Globe, and so knew Kim was alright, but seeing her in person was always better. "YOUR BRAVERY DURING THIS ORDEAL IS TO BE COMMENDED."

"Thanks Zordon." She said before moving to the playpen and picking up her daughter, glad this action no longer used up all her energy. "The three of us are gonna head home, but we'll see you tomorrow."

"OF COURSE." Zordon answered, seeing clearly that not everything had gone back to normal. Tommy had stayed silent the entire time, staying close to Kimberly and keeping a possessive arm around her the entire time. With a smile, Kim once again hit the teleportation button, taking the three of them home, which as of today was the Olivers. Vivian Oliver jumped out of her seat seeing her son, his girlfriend and her granddaughter appear in beams of pink and white light.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." She said with a smile, though it disappeared when she got a good look at her son.

"What happened?"

"Stuff we may not be able to tell you about, but I won't know until Tommy's back to normal. Would you mind watching Kira?" Kim asked, already handing the little girl off to her grandmother. "We're gonna head to our room, he'll be fine I promise." She said, cutting off any interruptions Vivian may have made. "He just had a big shock today, that's all." Tommy grunted, the first sound he'd made since growling at Katherine, clearly disagreeing with Kim's dismissal of the 'big shock,' even though it was probably just for his mother's benefit. Kim led him downstairs to their bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. Once they were alone, she found herself swept up into Tommy's arms as he carried her over to their bed, settling himself onto it with him her in her lap. He buried his face in her hair and held her close, needing to ensure that she was indeed all right, and that she wasn't going anywhere.

"I thought I'd lost you." He murmured a few minutes later, when his heart rate had slowed down. His voice was still huskier than usual, though thankfully his eyes flashed green for only the briefest of moments, and not very close together.

"I know. I didn't know what was going to happen either."

"I was so scared. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd go on, for our daughter." Tommy nodded, knowing she was right and that even if Kim left him, he would go on for Kira, but he also knew his heart would never be whole again, and he seriously questioned what kind of person, what kind of father, he'd become without her.

"You'd be a great father, no matter what." Kim assured him, having heard his train of thought through their bond.

"Let's hope I never have to find out." Kim wholeheartedly agreed with him there.

"What were you doing with Katherine?" he asked, a few more minutes later.

"She was in danger. The Tengas were attacking her."

"Danger?" He growled, pulling apart enough to grasp her shoulders and force her to look at him, his eyes flashing green with this new topic. "She's the one who stole your Power Coin."

"I know."

"_You knew?!_"

"Yes. Zordon told me you suspected Katherine."

"And you still went to her aid?! It was a trap!"

"I figured as much by the fact that the Tengas were just surrounding her and not actually touching her."

"_And you still went?!_" he roared. "You still put yourself in danger, still put _your very life_ in danger for her?!"

"Yes. She's-"

"How could you? How could you, Kimberly, risk your life like that? Did you not think of our daughter's future, growing up without her mother?"

"Of course I did!" Kim snapped back, insulted that even in his current state of mind he would question her devotion to their daughter. "But I knew she'd be looked after and loved. I wouldn't be leaving her alone in this world; she'd have you, and her multitude of grandparents and aunts and uncles. We're Power Rangers, Tommy, my life is expendable compared to the civilians we protect. That's what we signed up for when we accepted The Power."

"No, your life is not expendable. Not now, not ever." He flipped them so she lay beneath him, her hands pinned above her head. "Hear me, and hear me well, mate." His eyes had taken on a animalistic quality, yet were still flashing green, and even Kim, who had an intimate view into Tommy's mind, could not tell if this was the Falcon, or the Green Ranger, though she suspected both. "You are never, _never_, to put your life in danger again as you did today. Do I make myself clear?" Kim felt a power wash over her, settling in the mark on her back. Her eyes widened in shock having completely forgotten about that aspect of their bond. It wasn't hard to forget, given how much good energy was attached to it, especially after they unleashed their Animal Spirits. The Crane and Falcon were mates, connected through their own special bond and when they had been unleashed, their bond and melded with the one Tommy and Kim already had, creating something even more powerful and wonderful. With all of that, forgetting about the dark magic that bound Kim to Tommy wasn't difficult.

"You giving me a direct command? _Master?_" she bit out, feeling for a moment like nothing but his possession; anger welling up inside her that he would knowingly and purposefully use the magic to ensure her obedience. A brief thought crossed her mind that the last time he had done so was when he had been the Green Ranger, and currently the Green Ranger was more in control than not; but that thought was pushed down by the anger she felt. After all this time, he shoved the power he held over her in her face, and she had not been expecting it at all.

"Yes." He answered shortly, green eyes boring into brown. "I do not joke around with your safety, Kimberly. Watching you run into danger as a Power Ranger is bad enough, but I long ago accepted that that was who you were. But what you did today was sheer stupidity, and had I not arrived when I did you would be dead, and my heart would be dead with you. So yes, I am forbidding you from doing anything like you did today."  
"Why don't you just forbid me from being a Ranger and be done with it?" she snarled.

"I will not forbid you being a Ranger-"

"But you are!" She shouted, struggling to get out from under him. "Being a Ranger means putting the lives of the people of Earth before our own, even if that person is under a spell, even if it means we die."

"But not to this extent!" He countered. "Regular battles, or even tough ones do not see any of us entering a battle as close to death as you were. Perhaps we come out of one near death, but we don't _enter_ them near death. Do you see the difference?"

"Not really."

"You will once you've calmed down."

"Or maybe instead of seeing things your way I'll still see it my way, still wonder how you could _ever _even_ think_ to use this power you have over me." She sighed in frustration, renewing her attempts to be free of him. "Get off me, Tommy."

"Why?"

"Because I want to leave. I'll go stay with my mother tonight."

"You're not taking my daughter anywhere." He growled, putting a bit more weight onto her.

"What-"

"You're forgetting I can see into your mind. I know you were thinking you'd take Kira away from me if I let you up."

"I'm not taking her away from you, Tommy. It's one night apart."

"We haven't spent a night apart since before she was born."

"Well maybe it will do us both some good. Let us both calm down and think things over."

"Think what over? How much things have changed? If you still love me?" All struggles stopped when she heard those words, and a sadness and hurt entered her system.

"If I still love you?" She breathed. "After everything…how could you even ask…_of course_ I still love you, Tommy-"

"Good." His lips crashed down on hers and it was then she realized he had played her, had never doubted her love for him. Feeling the anger return at being played on top of everything else, Kim kissed him back just as fiercely, fighting for dominance. Kim felt his hands leave her wrists and move to undo her overalls, as his lips moved to her neck.

"Sex isn't going to solve anything, Tommy." Kim said once she had the chance, but her words were cut off as she moaned in pleasure.

"Maybe not, but it'll make us both feel better." He said when he tore himself away from her now love-bite marked neck. Eyeing his handiwork, he pulled off his shirt, and brought his lips back to hers. The rest of their clothes were removed and Tommy reached between them, feeling she was already ready for him; her body reacting to him, even if her mind wasn't quite in agreement.

"Ugh…just because you're right," she ground out, throwing her head back and gasping for air. "Doesn't mean you're off the hook!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." He could tell Kim was nearing her release, but wanting to be inside her when she came, Tommy abruptly pulled away from her, causing her to groan in displeasure. He reached into the side table for a condom, then joined their bodies in one swift motion. Kim moaned, this passion, so different from their usually gentle love making, was awakening a part of her she didn't know existed. There was no gentleness this time around yet neither of them complained, their climax hitting them as one, sending them crashing over the edge. After the waves of pleasure began to dissipate, Tommy fell onto the bed and pulled Kim into his side. Neither moved for a while, their heavy breathing the only sound being made as they came down from their high. Afterwards, when breathing wasn't a challenge anymore, Tommy broke the silence.

"You still mad?" he asked, his voice having returned to normal, signalling his return to control.

"A bit." Kim admitted. "It's just…you so easily used the magic binding me to you to force my obedience. It felt like you were throwing it in my face…I never thought you would, not after you were free from Rita's spell."

"Neither did I." Tommy said. "I never meant to throw it in your face Kim, I was just so scared. I was seconds from losing you for good and then I learned you willingly put yourself in that danger. Got yourself into the situation where I was seconds from losing you." Kim nodded, knowing his fear, but still wondering if the next time he got scared, whether for her life or well being, he'd use that power.

"I don't know." Tommy answered her mental query. "I don't think so, not if I'm fully in control. You know I wasn't fully in control when I gave you that order. It's not an excuse but…"

"Do you want to retract your order?" Tommy sighed.

"Do I want to? Or will I if you ask me to?" He countered, unable to deny that although not fully in control when the order was given, in this instance he was in full agreement with it, if not in agreement with the manner in which the order is enforced. Kim propped herself up on her elbow, looking him straight in the eyes, this time brown on brown.

"You'd do that?" She asked. "Even though you don't really want to, you'd take it back if I asked you?" Tommy nodded with no hesitation.

"You mean more to me than anything, Kim, Kira notwithstanding. Since the day I met you it has been programmed into me to protect you at all costs, even when I was evil. I'd be lying if I said that knowing you physically _can't_ put yourself in danger like you did today doesn't make me happy. It does. But I love you, Kim, and I trust you to always do what you think is right. So if it makes you happy, I'll take it back." Kim looked at him for a moment longer, and seeing the truth in his eyes, tears came to hers and she leant down and kissed him gently.

"It's ok, Tommy." Kim said when she pulled away. "Don't take it back. Just knowing you would, for no other reason then I asked you to, is enough. We'll call this a compromise. This one order I can live with because I know, I _feel,_ the relief you feel knowing I can't put myself in a situation like this again. Just don't think for a minute that this is going to be a regular occurrence! You may have power over me, Tommy, but I will kick your ass if you use it in anything but absolute dire circumstances…and this _one _time. Not to mention I'd never forgive you. And you know that." Tommy nodded, and Kim settled into his side.

"I know, Kim. And I'm not about to become some controlling, domineering boyfriend who dictates your life and takes away your free will. It's just that every instinct I have is to protect you, and Kira, no matter the cost. So when I heard you put yourself into that situation my instincts were telling me to make sure you could never do it again. That's where that came from."

"I see that now. I can never really agree with you ever using that power, but I understand why you did. And that fact that that I know you'd go against your instincts and retract the order if it's what I wanted is enough for me. I just…when you threw that out there, when you gave me a command I can't fight you on, no matter how hard I might try, I felt like…"

"Like my property." Tommy finished. Kim nodded and buried her face in his chest. "I never meant for you to feel like that, Kim. For all the times I said you belonged to me, I didn't mean it as in you were my possession. I meant that we belonged to each other, that I was yours as much as you were mine, though my evil self wouldn't let me get that second part out." He felt Kim's arms tighten around him and he responded in kind. "I love you Beautiful, have from the moment I laid eyes on you."

"I love you too, Handsome." She said, bringing her head up and giving him one more kiss before settling down in his embrace, the two drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N - And there you have it, end of this story arc, Kat is no longer evil!**

**Next chapter was fun to write and contains something that in my mind was a long time in the making, though I believe I've already mentioned that. It also contains the introduction of Master Vile and the beginning of the end of Mighty Morphin. Which is sad, Mighty Morphin was the best. Also I'm finding it takes longer to write the chapters for Zeo as there's A LOT more to change and cover up cause of the bad writing. Though, it isn't harder to write as I determine exactly how I would have wanted Zeo to play out while I'm watching the season.**

**Anyways, review please!**


	24. A Ranger Romance

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

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**Chapter 24 – A Ranger Romance**

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The week following the most recent Ranger catastrophe was one of confusion and rebuilding. Tommy and Kimberly made peace with each other, though exactly what they had to make peace about left their friends and family confused as neither Kim nor Tommy felt the slightest inclination to tell anyone about what had transpired after they retreated back home that day. Tommy also made peace with Katherine, knowing it hadn't been by her own volition that she stole Kim's Power Coin, and Katherine found in Tommy a kind of kindred spirit in the whole having been turned evil bit. Katherine's obvious guilt over what she had done had prompted Tommy to open up somewhat to her about his days as the Evil Green Ranger, though there was much that was left out. Even still, it took a fair bit of time for Katherine to truly begin to forgive herself. Surprisingly, the person Katherine most often turned to had not been Tommy, although he had given her an open invitation should she need to talk, but rather a certain Blue Ranger. Billy's innate wisdom and logical mind drew Katherine in and offered her a point of view free from emotional entanglement, which, with all the emotional turmoil being free from Rita's spell brought, she found she needed. Rita and Zedd themselves had been quiet ever since Tommy had made his appearance on the Moon. That had been something he had shared with Zordon and the Rangers, wondering exactly where that power had come from, though he received no real explanation; for just like with him being able to access the Green Ranger powers, there really was none, it just seemed to be Tommy's own natural power that allowed him to do just about anything whenever it came to Kim or Kira's safety. The second week was when things really calmed down, and the Rangers were finally able to relax. There were still no attacks, but given Tommy's display of power, no one was concerned; Rita and Zedd would need to lick their wounds and regroup.

**-T/K-**

After school one day the Rangers and Katherine entered the Youth Centre as normal, and saw that what looked to be the entire Junior Police Patrol setting up streamers, balloons and a stage. The banner two people were putting up said 'Junior Police Ball', which caused them all to groan, remembering that that had yet to happen.

"Well the good news is that it's happening now, instead of two weeks ago." Kim reasoned.

"She's got a point." Jason agreed.

Kim turned to Trini and Kat. "We have to hit the mall." Kim was all business now, the excitement of a shopping trip and date night running through her. "The dance is tomorrow, I can't believe I forgot!" Trini and Kat quickly agreed, and the three bid the others a quick farewell and rushed off.

"Kat you have no idea how glad I am you're here." Kim said when they reached the fifth store on their tour of the mall. "Trini just doesn't appreciate shopping like I do."

"You mean I'm not a shopaholic that would buy out the whole mall if only I had enough money." Trini countered, as she added another yellow dress to the pile she was going to try on. "Doesn't mean I don't like shopping." Kat laughed at as their friendly squabble continued, Kim maintaining that Trini just didn't appreciate a good shopping trip while Trini argued that Kim's love of shopping was borderline psychotic. Kat smiled and shook her head, adding dresses to her own pile, though hers weren't limited to a single colour, giving her much more choice, although admittedly there was a fair bit of pink in there; she may not have a Ranger's affinity for the colour, but it was her favourite. The girls hit the change room, taking adjacent stalls and coming out to show the others, needing their opinion and offering up their own. All three girls found their dress in that store, though Kim and Kat couldn't choose between two. Trini did not have such a problem, choosing her dress immediately upon trying it on. Eventually Kim chose an unsurprising bright pink, and Kat a beautiful pale pink with blue flowers. Trini's choice of a pale yellow with red embroidery and a red sash did not go unnoticed by either girl, and when they hit the food court, Kim called her on it.

"So…red. Any particular reason?" Trini blushed and looked down, but didn't deny such a possibility.

"Come on, Trini, we all know you like Jason." Said Kat.

"He's my friend…"

"Oh please." Scoffed Kim. "You like him, he likes you. Of course he's your friend, but Billy and Zack are your friends and that doesn't mean they want to get in your pants."

"He doesn't like me like that." Trini insisted, and it was now Kat's turn to scoff.

"Oh come on. I've been around for only a few weeks and even I can tell the boy loves you."

"Loves me?!" Trini squeaked, and Kim and Kat had to stifle a laugh.

"Why is it the people involved are always the last to know?" Kim asked Kat.

"Because they're usually living in denial, unable to believe the person they like feels the same way." The two smiled at Trini, waiting for a response, which came with a shy smile.

"You really think so?" she asked, finally admitting it to herself. The two nodded.

"He's my brother, Tri. I know him better than I know myself, and he loves you. But he's just as stubborn as you, he probably hasn't even admitted it to himself, just like you didn't until we cornered you."

"So he might not-"

"Trini…come on." Kat said, fully integrated into the discussion, though they'd only really been friends for two weeks. After she had been freed from the spell, the Rangers had brought her into their circle, and Trini and Kim had become fast friends. After only two weeks she felt completely at ease with them, and ready to jump in and help get Jason and Trini together.

"The ball tomorrow night is perfect." Kim said, a plan forming in her head. "We'll get you two together. Oh, it'll be just like Cinderella!" With that Kim was off, and both Trini and Kat knew there was no dissuading her. They were now just bystanders and pawns in her game, though this game was one Trini was really hoping to win.

Across town back at the Youth Centre, a similar discussion was being held between the guys, although there was a lot less giddiness and emotional therapy, and a lot more frankness and mocking.

"Dude, when are you gonna ask Trini out?" Zack asked. Jason choked on his drink, not having expected this train of conversation.

"W-what?" he coughed out, Tommy reached over and slapped him on the back, stifling a chuckle.

"When are you going to ask Trini out?" Zack asked again, going a little slower this time.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Jason insisted.

"I believe what Zack is trying to inquire is to when you will be requesting Trini to join you for a night out, commonly known as a 'date.' " Billy said, getting in on the fun.

"Thank, Billy." Jason deadpanned, sending him a glare.

"Come on, Jase, we know you want to. The entire school, hell all of Angel Grove knows you two like each other." Said Tommy.

"No they don't!" said Jason.

"Yeah they do." Zack said. "You and Trini are the only ones who apparently don't know."

"Come on, how could Trini like me?" Jason asked disbelievingly. His friends sent him incredulous looks.

"How could Kim like me?" Tommy asked, allowing a serious tone to enter his voice for the first time during this conversation, though he had no real intention of treating that question with any true seriousness. "Seriously, Jase?"

"Ok…you know what I mean."

"Affirmative, and we're trying to show you how stupid 'what you mean' actually is." Said Billy.

"Seriously, Jase. You and Trini are more stubborn than Tommy and Kim, and I didn't think that was possible." Added Zack. Jason shot his friends, all of them, glares, but he didn't deny that claim. Suddenly, Tommy smiled, having heard the girls' conversation through his bond with Kim.

"Well I guess we'll just have to wait for the ball tomorrow night." He said, leaning back in his chair. The three boys sent him a confused and incredulous look. Jason shook his head and got up to grab a drink, while the other two leaned in for more information.

"Kim's determined to play fairy godmother." Was all he said but it was enough for Zack and Billy. They were by no means new to Kim's plans, and had high hopes that this one would work.

**-T/K-**

The next day after school the girls met at Kim's house to get ready. Kim had everything planned out to get Trini and Jason together. Though truthfully she didn't believe it would be that hard. They both liked each other, that wasn't the problem, it's just that they had to admit it, which they were both too stubborn to do. Their friends were also of the belief that the two of them were insecure, and blind as to what was right before their eyes. Tommy and Kim understood the insecurity completely and it was a testament to how much Trini and Jason actually loved each other that they weren't automatically sure of the other's love. In the very early days of Tommy and Kim's relationship, neither of them were sure of the other, a large part of them convinced that the other could not possibly love them. Kim's plan was simple: keep them together all night. She knew both of them would be thinking of the other after yesterday, and if they were stuck together in close quarters with a romantic setting, she just knew they'd finally see what was right in front of their eyes and admit their love. At least she hoped.

"You girls ready? The boys are here." Caroline called up the stairs as 8pm approached.

"Almost!" Kim called back as she finished setting Trini's hair into soft ringlets atop her head. Kat then helped her into her dress so as not to ruin her hair while Kim quickly did hers. Once finished, the three girls took one final look in the mirror, giggling excitedly, before heading downstairs. The boys had arrived and were congregating in the living room, playing with Kira as they waited. Only Kim and Tommy had actual dates, but they had all agreed to go together. The boys stood up when the girls came down, being loud and vocal about how beautiful they thought the girls were, though the girls themselves just shook their heads in amusement at the boys' drama.

"You look beautiful." Tommy said, coming up to Kim and placing a pink corsage around her wrist. Kim smiled, thanking him with a kiss. Her smile widened when she saw Jason and Billy both giving Trini and Kat a corsage as well.

"And we all know I'm saving mine for Angela." Zack said as to his lack of corsage giving.

"Didn't she turn you down again?" Jason asked.

"No, no. Not this time. She said she'd see me there!" Zack said excitedly.

"And you think that constitutes a date?" asked Tommy.

"Hey, I did my homework and I know she doesn't have a date. I'm hoping for a dance, minimally."

"She'd be crazy not to give you at least one dance, Zack." Trini assured her friend.

"Well guys, shall we?" Kat asked, receiving nods in agreement.

"Be good for grandma and grandpa." Kim instructed her daughter as she kissed her goodnight and handed her off to her parents. The teens piled into their cars and headed off the Youth Centre where there was already a large crowd gathered. It seemed all of Angel Grove High were attending the ball, which was more or less already in full swing.

"Come on, let's dance." Kim said excitedly, pulling Tommy onto the dance floor. Kat did the same with Billy, while Zack went off in search of Angela, leaving Trini and Jason alone together.

"You…uh…you look beautiful, Tri." he murmured. Trini smiled and ducked her head, hiding a blush.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." She said back. Plucking up all his courage, Jason took a deep breath and held out his hand to you.

"Dance with me?" Trini stared into his eyes for a moment, noticing the hesitation and fervent hope within them.

"Of course." She said and gave him her hand, allowing him to pull her onto the dance floor. As the two danced, they became hyper aware of the other. Just as Kim had hoped, they had thought, and were still thinking, on what their friends had said the other day, and were now becoming aware of the little things. The looks when they thought the other wasn't looking, the nervousness, which had never been present in their friendship before, and with their close proximity, they could feel the other's heart racing. It gave them both hope, that their friends were right, one of them just had to pluck up the courage to say the words first. With their first dance out of the way, others followed and the two ended up not dancing with anyone else. Neither of them seemed to be aware as an entire hour passed, the two still dancing even when the music stopped so the band could take a break. When they finally did notice, the eyes of their friends, and quite a few others, were on them, and the two ducked outside in embarrassment. They let go of each other's hand when they were outside and away from prying eyes, Trini wrapping her arms around her and moving a few steps away to catch her breath. Her plan didn't exactly work out, as Jason believed she wrapped her arms around her for warmth, so he took off his suit jacket and placed it around her shoulders. Trini gasped slightly, and turned to towards him, bringing their faces inches apart. Plucking up her own courage, Trini leaned up and gently brought her lips to his in a soft, hesitant kiss. When she made to pull away a moment later, Jason did not let her, instead bringing his arms around her and pulling her into a proper kiss. Trini melted into his embrace, this one silent action confirming he did indeed have feelings for her. When air became a necessity, the two pulled apart though didn't leave the other's embrace.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time." Jason admitted in a breathy whisper.

"Me too." She whispered right back, smiling brightly at him. Jason couldn't stop his own smile as he brought his head back down for another kiss. When the two had had their fill of the other for the moment, they returned to the Youth Centre where the band was just getting ready for their second set. Although their friends caught their eyes, the two merely smiled brightly before hitting the dance floor once more, though that was enough for their friends to know they had finally confessed how they felt. The night wore on and everyone was lost in their own worlds, each of them paired off. Zack had finally convinced Angela to give him a chance and the two were dancing their third dance together, while Billy and Kat were also sharing yet another dance, though neither of them really had any romantic notions towards the other, at least not yet. Trini and Jason had had a magical night, the one everyone hopes for though many don't get, or at least don't get until they're much older. But Trini and Jason were not normal people, far from it actually. With everything they had been through they were old souls who, instead of going through their teenage and young adult years trying to find themselves, already knew exactly who they were. It was with that thought in mind that Jason once again gathered his courage and laid all his cards down.

"I love you, Trini." He whispered into her ear as he held her close during the last dance of the night. Trini did not look shocked by this pronouncement, her thoughts having been along the same line as Jason's, but she still wanted to hear him say it. "I've loved you as my friend for many years, and that love has only grown. I know we don't have what they do," he said nodding to Tommy and Kim. "That whole love at first sight, destined to be together thing, but that doesn't make this any less real. I love you, Trini Kwan." Jason looked right into his eyes throughout his whole speech, letting her know how serious he was, as if she needed another reminder. For all the years they've been friends, she could count on one hand the number of times he'd told her, or their other friends, that he loved them, and knew there were even fewer times that he allowed himself to spew out 'mushiness.'

"I love you too, Jase." She whispered back, leaning up for a quick kiss then laying her head on his shoulder as the final chords played out on the night she would always remember.

**-T/K-**

The next day Trini had barely woken up before the phone was ringing with Kim and Kat demanding details. She met them in the park where they carted Kira around and had a nice long talk with Trini spilling just about everything and how she felt about it all. This was a very different discussion then the one the boys were having while working out at the Youth Centre. In a very stereotypical fashion, the girls were discussing feelings at length, while the boys kept it short and sweet, ensuring that, yes, their eyes had not been playing tricks on them last night and they had indeed confessed their love, and that yes, they were both happy. So it was of no surprise that the girls were still deep in discussion when they arrived at the Youth Centre a couple hours later and the boys were merely sparring. The boys spotted them when they walked in and stopped their match to lavish attention on the little girl who had toddled over upon seeing her father and uncles.

"Da up!" she cried, to which her Tommy was only too happy to comply. At twenty-one months, Kira was now saying many short words, some actual words and some shortened words as she couldn't quite get the full word, like 'ma' and 'da' which she still was having trouble putting together.

"Hey sweetie." He said giving her a big kiss and receiving one in return.

"Well I think that's a good place to end our match for today." Jason said, smiling at the little girl and taking her into his arms at her cry of "unc Jay."

"Why don't you guys hit the showers and we'll order some food." Trini suggested, coming over and giving Jason a quick kiss before taking their goddaughter from him. The guys nodded, fully admitting they were indeed sweaty, and headed into the change rooms while the girls got a table and ordered some food from Ernie. The guys had just come back out and taken their seats when Ernie came over with their food.

"Here you go guys, burgers and shakes. And cheerios for you." He placed a plastic bowl full of the cereal in front of Kira who immediately went to work on them. "Oh and congratulations guys." He added, nodding to Trini, Zack and Jason. "It's amazing that you guys were chosen to represent the USA at the World Junior Peace Conference in Switzerland." Not realizing he had opened a can or worms, Ernie walked off with a smile. The others immediately turned to their friends, unsure what to say.

"You guys were chosen?" Tommy said, needing confirmation.

"Yeah, we were." Jason muttered, looking down at the table.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Kim demanded. "This is the World Junior Peace Conference, it's a big deal!"

"Yeah, but we're not going." Trini said matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Kat asked.

"Don't you think we're a little busy here?" Zack asked back, referring to their gig as Rangers.

"Besides we'd be gone for most of senior year, we don't want to be away from our friends and family for that long." Jason added.

"But it's a great opportunity, Rex." Kim said. "Out of everyone in the country you guys were chosen!"

"Yeah, Ms. Applebee must have sent in one hell of a nomination package for you to be chosen, Jase." Tommy quipped, earning him a slap upside the head.

"Are you guys really not going to go?" Kat asked. "Like Kim said, it's a great opportunity. Just think of all the good you could do. You could help the people of Earth find the peace you're fighting for."

"_We're_ fighting for." Billy corrected her, including her in that fight. "But Kat's right. I am certain the issue of the monster attacks will come up. How even though we are being attacked by monsters with enough firepower to destroy our planet, the people of Earth are still waging war against each other instead of coming together to destroy the real evil. Your time as Rangers would certainly give you invaluable insight."

"At least think about it." Kim insisted, looking each of her friends in the eye. "And we'll talk to Zordon too, get his input." Everyone nodded, agreeing that a decision didn't have to be made now, and that including Zordon in their decision-making was not only a good idea, but also a necessity. So, the next day the Rangers did just that.

"IT IS INDEED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY." He said, which all of them knew he would. "AND IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION WHEN I GAVE YOU THE POWER COINS TO STOP YOU FROM LIVING YOUR LIVES. IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, YOU HAVE MY BLESSING. IT IS MY SINCEREST WISH THAT WHATEVER YOU DO IN LIFE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR CHOICE, EVEN IF IT MEANS LEAVING THE POWER RANGERS."

"What would happen without us?" Zack asked. "Would we be down three Rangers?"

"I WILL NOT INSULT YOU BY LYING TO YOU AND SAYING THAT YOUR LEAVING WOULD NOT POSE A BIT OF A PROBLEM. WHILE OTHER CANDIDATES CAN BE SELECTED TO BECOME RANGERS, YOUR POWERS ARE BONDED TO YOU, AND YOUR LIFE FORCE AND AS SUCH ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE. WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND A NEW POWER SOURCE FOR THESE NEW RANGERS."

"Couldn't they find their own Animal Spirits, Zordon?" asked Billy.

"IN THEORY YES. HOWEVER, AS DULCEA TOLD YOU, RELEASING YOUR ANIMAL SPIRIT IS NOT AN EASY MATTER, AND FOR MANY PEOPLE WOULD PROVE IMPOSSIBLE. WE WOULD HAVE TO HOPE THAT THE CANDIDATES WE SELECT WOULD BE ABLE TO RELEASE THEIR SPIRITS. THEN THERE IS THE PROBLEM OF THEIR RANGER POWERS. WHILE THEY MAY USE YOUR MORPHERS, THEY WOULD NEED THEIR OWN POWER COINS. BUT IT WAS NOT I WHO CREATED THE COINS YOU NOW USE, BUT RATHER THE GREAT POWER. THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO REACH THE MONOLITH, JUST AS ALL OF YOU DID, TO GAIN THEIR RANGER POWERS. THIS IS ANOTHER DIFFICULT FEAT, WHICH TOOK THE SIX OF YOU TO ACCOMPLISH. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SEND ALL OF YOU OFF PLANET. BY THE TIME YOU RETURNED, EARTH WOULD BE UNDER RITA AND ZEDD'S CONTROL."

"So in other words Ninjetti powers are out, and we'd have to find another power source." Said Trini.

"PRECISELY." Said Zordon. "BUT DO NOT DESPAIR, RANGERS." He continued, seeing their despondent looks. "THERE ARE MANY SOURCES OF POWER OUT THERE, WE WILL FIND ONE, SHOULD YOU WISH TO GO. IT WILL JUST TAKE SOME TIME."

"Well we have until the end of August before we'd have to leave." Said Jason. "Though we have to give the Peace Conference officials an answer by the end of June."

"Is that ok, Zordon?" asked Zack. "If we think about it and tell you when we tell them?"

"OF COURSE. AND IN THE MEANTIME, ALPHA AND I SHALL BEGIN SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCES. THAT WILL GIVE US TWO MONTHS TO RETRIEVE IT AND CHOOSE NEW RANGERS SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO GO."

**-T/K-**

A next day the teens got a surprise visit at the Youth Centre.

"Oh my god!" Kim squealed as she ran over and hugged the petite dark skinned woman. "Aisha, it's so good to see you!"

"You too! Letters and phone calls aren't nearly as nice as seeing you face to face." Since their meeting during the Ninja Competition a year ago, the Rangers and the three teens from Stone Canyon had kept their promise to stay in touch and had visited relatively often, given the short distance between Angel Grove and Stone Canyon.

"Rocky, Adam! It's good to see you guys to!" She gave each of them a hug before leading them over to the gang who all greeted them enthusiastically.

"Guys this is Katherine, a friend of ours who recently moved here from Australia." Kim introduced when greetings were done. "Katherine, these are our friends from Stone Canyon, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Kat said with a smile as she shook each of their hands.

"So what brings you to Angel Grove?" Jason asked after Tommy brought over drinks for the new arrivals, spawning another set of greetings.

"Two things." Aisha said, sharing a conspiratory look with Rocky and Adam. "First, we have to congratulate the Junior World Peace Conference USA Ambassadors!" Rocky and Adam had each pulled out a cheap dollar store confetti maker, popping them over Trini, Jason and Zack's heads at Aisha's words.

"Thanks guys." Trini said genuinely. She, along with Zack and Jason, were extremely happy to have been chosen. They just weren't sure if they'd go, something they couldn't let on to these three for they really had no true reason not to go beyond Ranger duties, which these three didn't know about.

"And the second thing?" Zack chimed in, getting off that subject as he pulled confetti off his shirt.

"The second thing is we were wondering if you could show us around Angel Grove High Monday. You know, show us to our classes." Five heads snapped in Aisha's direction, wondering if they'd heard her right.

"You guys are going to Angel Grove High?" Kim asked. "As in, you _moved_ here?"

"Yeah, last weekend." Adam answered.

"The parents gave us a week off to help unpack and get registered, but we start school Monday." Rocky added.

"But…why?" Trini asked, though quickly backtracked. "Not that we aren't happy you're here."

"Well, mine dad and Adam's are opening a new branch here and wanted to move to oversee it." Aisha explained.

"And since I live with Adam, I get to come too." Said Rocky. Aisha and Adam's fathers had met in college, at law school, and had become fast friends. Eventually they became business partners and started a successful law firm in Stone Canyon; the news that they were expanding to Angel Grove wasn't a surprise. Rocky had been living with the Parks since the summer before freshman year. His father was a deadbeat who bailed on his wife and three kids when Rocky was twelve. Since then things were tough. Maria DeSantoes worked two jobs to support her family, which left not enough time to be at home. Rocky, as the oldest, stepped up and helped out where he could, mostly looking after his little brother and sister who were four and six respectively. When he entered middle school Rocky took a down turn. He got picked on and bullied, but didn't take it for long. The martial arts he had always loved came in handy when dealing with bullies and he had landed in the principal's office many times for fighting. But the bullying continued and eventually Rocky just stopped going to school. Instead he devoted his time to his family, taking care of his siblings, cooking and cleaning for his mom, and even taking on a paper route, dog walking, pool cleaning, and leaf raking, giving every cent he made to his mother. It took nearly a year for Maria to realize Rocky wasn't going to school at all; she knew he was skipping a lot, but had thought he was at least going sometimes. When Maria lost one of her jobs due to budget cuts things became even worse. They had the house, with no mortgage, thankfully, but money for bills and food was really tight. When Rocky stopped eating, claiming he was always full from lunch at school, which by then she knew he wasn't attending, Maria broke down and sought help from Jack and Mindy Park, the parents of Rocky's best friend. When they heard what had happened, they immediately offered to take Rocky in. He had fought it at first, saying his family needed him, but Maria had begged; she couldn't watch her son destroy himself. Reluctantly, Rocky agreed, though he insisted he was still after-school childcare for his brother and sister. The summer before freshman year, Rocky moved in with the Parks and took summer school classes to catch up, joining Adam and Aisha in the ninth grade. The move to Angel Grove, away from his mother and siblings was hard, but with them now being nine and eleven they didn't need as much care, and had friends whose house they could go to after school, and so Rocky had been convinced to move here with the Parks, and the promise he could drive home whenever he wanted.

Although not a secret, Rocky's past was not something that was talked about among the gang. Kind of like how Kira was not a secret, but how Tommy and Kim became teenage parents was never talked about. Many people made assumptions, which they did not correct, while others who knew Tommy and Kim didn't fully believe they had just had unprotected sex, it really wasn't like them, especially as young as they were.

"That's great." Jason said, truly glad their friends were moving close by. Anything else he would say was stopped as Kim and Kat started filling Aisha in about the Junior Police Ball and Trini and Jason finally getting together. Rocky and Adam listened in, not having heard this news either, and joined Zack in mocking Jason as the girls gushed about how sweet and romantic he had been.

**-T/K-**

Rita and Zedd's inactivity continued as the weeks wore on, and by mid May the Rangers began to really worry. Inactivity for a couple weeks after Tommy's display of power was expected, inactivity for another week was not truly surprising, but an entire month had them worried. Especially when Tengas and half-assed monsters began to crop up. Though the battles resumed, they were easy, far too easy; it was like Rita and Zedd weren't even trying, which is what worried the Rangers. Rita and Zedd always tried their best to destroy them and Earth, and so half-assed attempts had them on guard and expecting a major attack in the near future. The Rangers weren't far off the mark. The attack came, though not from Rita and Zedd, but rather from Master Vile, Rita and Rito's father.

"They have a father." Jason ground out in disgust as they teleported in to the Command Centre after having gotten the call. The Ranger's afterschool plans had been waylaid, but that was really nothing new, so with a shared look of doom, they left Kira in the hands of Katherine, whom the little girl had taken to quite fast, and teleported out. "How on earth do they have a father? And why does no one in their family look like the other?"

"And you're trying to make sense of this…why?" Tommy asked.

"You'd think you'd learn, Jase." Chimed Zack. "After all these years, nothing to do with these guys ever actually makes sense."

"Yeah, I know."

"So is this why Rita and Zedd have been quiet lately?" Trini asked Zordon.

"YES." He replied. "MASTER VILE CONTACTED HIS DAUGHTER WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL."

"The Zeo Crystal? What's that?" Billy asked.

"THE ZEO CRYSTAL IS A POWERFUL OBJECT CONTAINING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY. ITS EXACT ORIGINS ARE UNKNOWN; HOWEVER, JUST OVER A MILLENIA AGO, THE ZEO CRYSTAL APPEARED IN THE M51 GALAXY, THE HOME GALAXY OF MASTER VILE, WHO SOUGHT THE CRYSTAL'S POWER. THE DENIZENS OF THE M51 GALAXY STOLE THE CRYSTAL AWAY FROM VILE, AND BROUGHT IT TO THE CAVES OF DECEPTION, LOCATED UNDER THE SURFACE OF EARTH'S MOON."

"Again with our Moon, what's so special about it?" Muttered Jason under his breath.

"And again why are you trying to make sense of it?" Tommy muttered back.

"MASTER VILE MUST HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THE LOCATION OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL. HE SENT WORD TO HIS CHILDREN WHO BEGAN DIGGING IN SEARCH OF THE CAVES. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THEY HAVE BEEN QUIET LATELY; ALL THEIR ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THEIR SEARCH FOR THE ZEO CRYSTAL."

"And let me guess, if they get their hands on the Zeo Crystal, we're doomed." Kim surmised.

"I'd say that sounds about right." Said Trini, and no one could disagree with her.

"So what do we do?" Zack asked. "Obviously we have to get the Crystal before they do, but how do we get it?"

"LUCKILY FOR US, THE DENIZENS OF THE M51 GALAXY PLACED PROTECTIVE BARRIERS AROUND THE CRYSTAL." Zordon explained. "ONLY ONE PURE OF HEART MAY RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL FROM THE CAVES."

"Then why is Vile so determined to get it while it's still there?" Billy wondered. "He must know neither he nor Rita or Zedd, or any of their minions, could retrieve the Crystal. Unless he doesn't know about the protective measures."

"I AM CERTAIN MASTER VILE KNOWS ABOUT THEM. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE MORE PROTECTIVE MEASURE VILE HOPES TO TRIP. SHOULD SOMEONE WITH AN UNPURE HEART REACH THE CRYSTAL, IT WILL SHATTER INTO SEVERAL PIECES, LEAVING THE CONFINES OF THE CAVES AND BE OPEN TO ANYONE TO RETRIEVE."

"And if Master Vile retrieves all the shards, he'll have the Crystal." Jason finished.

"I BELIEVE SO, YES. HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE FURTHER COUNTER MEASURES, WHICH WE WILL NOT KNOW OF UNTIL, AND UNLESS, THE CRYSTAL IS BROKEN APART."

"So even if they shatter the Zeo Crystal, they may not be able to get it?" Trini asked.

"PERHAPS, PERHAPS NOT. MORE LIKELY THERE WILL BE SOME KIND OF TEST REQUIRED TO RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that." Said Jason. "So who's going to go get it?"

"I know the Moon better than any of you." Tommy reasoned. "Let me."

"UNFORTUNATELY TOMMY, I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL."

"Why not, Zordon?" Kim asked.

"TOMMY HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THE HANDS OF EVIL, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, TRACES OF IT STILL REMAIN WITHIN HIM."

"Of course, I'm not pure of heart, I should have realized that." Tommy muttered.

"THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE A BAD PERSON, TOMMY." Zordon assured him. "MAGIC IS A FINICKY THING, JUST BECAUSE THE SPELL PROTECTING THE CRYSTAL WILL RECOGNIZE THE TRACES OF EVIL STILL WITHIN YOU, DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE NOT PURE OF HEART." Tommy nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced.

"I'll go." Jason said, stepping up, knowing they didn't have a lot of time.

"The rest of us will head off Vile's attack." Trini said, the others nodded in agreement. "Jase…" Jason turned towards her and saw her worried expression. This was probably the most dangerous mission any of them had undertaken alone, and Trini felt all kinds of fear for the Red Ranger. "Just…be careful, Jase." She said, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. Jason nodded and pulled her into a hug, holding her close. They had just found each other, admitted that they'd been flirting around for years, and this might be the last time they saw each other.

"I love you, Tri." He murmured into her hair. She murmured her own sentiments and the others turned around, giving them a moment alone. When the moment was over, Jason stepped forward; ready to lead his team for what may very well be the last time.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"White Ranger Power!"

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Pink Ranger Power!"

"Blue Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!"

"Red Ranger Power!"

With one final look, Jason teleported to the Moon's surface while the others headed to the park to fight off Vile's monster. It wasn't easy. Vile's power far exceeded Rita's and rivalled Zedd's, if not surpassed him as well. It took far too long to level the playing field, let alone get the upper hand. As always though, the Rangers eventually succeeded and sent the monster packing. They immediately teleported back to the Command Centre, asking about Jason's progress.

"JASON SUCCEEDED IN ENTERING THE CAVES OF DECEPTION." Zordon responded. "UNFORTUNATELY, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO TRACK HIM WHILE HE'S INSIDE." Though the news was unwelcomed, it was not surprising, and so they set in to wait. Although in reality their wait was not as long as their battle had been, it felt like so much longer.

"What's taking him so long?" Trini muttered.

"It's only been ten minutes, Tri. I'm sure he's fine and it's just taking time to get through thousands of years of magical barriers." Kim said reassuringly.

"How do you know that?" Trini retorted. "How do you know he's not lying dead somewhere beneath the Moon's surface?!" Kim smiled softly, knowing how love could make you imagine worst-case scenarios in a heartbeat. Kim's response, however, changed upon seeing someone appear behind Trini.

"Because he's right behind you." Trini spun around and launched herself at Jason, who had yet to even de-morph.

"Thank god you're alright." She murmured, waiting just long enough for his helmet to disappear before she brought her lips to his.

"I'm alright, Tri." He murmured back. He was feeling a whole array of emotions, feeling more in tune to Trini then ever, and he thought briefly that if this was only about a tenth of what Tommy and Kim felt, he didn't really want to know what they felt; the fear of losing her was strong enough as it was. Once their reunion was over with, Jason turned to Zordon, a look of defeat upon his face.

"I failed, Zordon. I couldn't retrieve the Zeo Crystal." He said despondently.

"MASTER VILE BEAT YOU TO IT?" Surprisingly, Jason shook his head.

"No. I just wasn't able to retrieve it. It shattered when I approached it and the pieces scattered. I tripped the second security measure." Various cries of shock and indignation were heard before everyone turned to Zordon for an explanation.

"I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO TELL YOU, RANGERS. I HAD TRULY THOUGHT JASON WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL."

"If he tripped the second counter measure, it must mean that he is not pure of heart." Billy reasoned.

"But Jason has never been turned evil." Said Zack. "So why did the magic not consider him pure of heart?"

"I BELIEVE YOU MAY HAVE STUMBLED UPON THE ANSWER, ZACK. THE MAGIC PROTECTING THE CRYSTAL DID NOT CONSIDER JASON AS PURE OF HEART. AS I HAVE ALREADY SAID, MAGIC IS A FINICKY THING, AND ITS PERCEPTION DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A BASIS IN REALITY."

"So something about Jason made the magic think he wasn't pure of heart." Surmised Trini. "But what could that be?"

"MY BEST GUESS WOULD BE THAT THE DENIZENS OF THE M51 GALAXY WANTED TO ENSURE ONLY A PERSON WHO HAS NEVER EVEN HAD AN UNPURE THOUGHT WOULD BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE CRYSTAL."

"And Jase is human, a teenage human at that. Impure thoughts are a daily occurrence." Said Tommy, to which Kim smacked him on the shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"Not everyone has your dirty mind Tommy." This time it was Tommy who rolled his eyes.

"I was referring to the obscenities that usually accompanies early morning classes, homework, or, in our case, a monster attack. Wishing Rita and Zedd would drop dead would certainly be considered impure. What were you thinking of?" He sent a smirk her way, earning him another smack on the shoulder.

"Ass." She muttered. Their playful banter brought smiles to the faces of those around them, giving them all a much-needed reprieve. But the reprieve could not last, they all knew it, and so it wasn't long before they returned their attention to the task at hand.

"So what now, Zordon?" Zack asked.

"NOW YOU MUST JOURNEY TO RETRIEVE THE PIECES OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL. EACH SHARD MUST BE RECOVERED BEFORE MASTER VILE FINDS THEM."

"But they scattered right out into space!" Jason said. "How on earth are we ever gonna find them out there?"

"IF MY SENSORS ARE CORRECT, THEY WERE NOT SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE, BUT THROUGH TIME AND SPACE." The Rangers groaned.

"And that's supposed to make things better?" Zack muttered.

"IN A WAY, YES. THE OTHER COUNTER MEASURES I MENTIONED BEING A POSSIBILITY SHOULD THE CRYSTAL BE SHATTERED HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED AND WE NOW KNOW WHAT THEY ARE."

"Some test, right? You mentioned it being some kind of test. I guess to prove our worth of the Shards?" Kim guessed, Zordon nodded.

"EXACTLY THAT. THE DENIZENS OF THE M51 GALAXY SEEMED TO BE REALLY DETERMINED TO STOP EVIL FROM GETTING THEIR HANDS ON THE CRYSTAL. WHEN THE CRYSTAL SHATTERED, THE SHARDS TRAVELED THROUGH TIME AND SPACE, CREATING THEIR OWN PORTALS TO DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS. THE PERSON WHO ENTERS THE PORTAL TO GO AFTER THE SHARD WILL BE FACED WITH A CHALLENGE, OF WHAT EXACTLY I AM UNSURE, BUT IT WILL ENSURE THE PERSON WILL NOT USE THE SHARD, OR THE CRYSTAL, FOR EVIL PURPOSES."

"So we go after them." Said Jason with a tone of finality. "And hope we're worthy."

* * *

**A/N - The beginning of the end of Mighty Morphin'! It's sad. =(**

**Jason and Trini are finally together, I absolutely loved writing that! Rocky's back story was not planned beforehand, it was one of those things that just hit me as I was writing. **

**Zeo Quest is next, and there's about 2-3 chapters after this one till it's over and they get their Zeo powers. **

**Review please! **


	25. The Zeo Quest

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers  
_

* * *

**Chapter 25 – The Zeo Quest**

* * *

"So we go after them." Said Jason with a tone of finality. "And hope we're worthy."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Zack jumped in, ever upbeat as always.

"How about a way to get there?" Trini retorted, shooting him down.

"Well then let's find a way to get there! We need those Shards!"

"Easy, Zack. We'll get there, don't worry." Jason promised him.

"Alpha and I shall start running an interdimensional locator to try and find the Shards. Having a way to get there means nothing if we don't know where we're even going." Billy said.

"Alright, then the rest of us will head home and pack, and tell our parents we'll be gone for awhile." Jason instructed. "Billy, your dad is out of town right?"

"Affirmative. He's in New York for a conference."

"Then I'll grab a bag for you, give you more time to try and find the Shards." Billy nodded his thanks, knowing that with his dad gone, there was no point for him to go home himself when he could be of more use here. With an agreement to return in an hour or less, the others returned home. As per their routine, Tommy and Kim bypassed their parents and headed right upstairs to check on Kira. Their baby was sleeping soundly, it being well passed nightfall and all, but the two knew they'd have to wake her to bring her to the Command Centre. They had silently agreed that while they traveled through time and space they'd both feel a lot better about Kira being at the Command Centre, protected against everyone without a Power Coin. And as everyone with a Power Coin would be gone, they were as secure in their daughter's safety as they could ever be. The two packed their bags as well as Kira's, bringing a lot more of Kira's stuff as they didn't know how long she'd be at the Command Centre, before heading back downstairs to face their parents. It was convenient that one of their parents' habits after their identities had been revealed had been to converge on the whichever house their granddaughter was at, or if she elsewhere, at the house Tommy and Kim were staying at that week, as they awaited their children's return. They had breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them enter the house looking completely unharmed, but their anxiety grew seeing them return with luggage.

"You guys going somewhere?" Vivian asked. Tommy and Kim nodded.

"We have to go away for awhile. It's one of those 'fate of the world' things." Tommy said.

"Go where?" Caroline asked.

"We don't actually know, Billy's working on that one." Kim replied.

"Go away for what?" asked Mark, looking to his son.

"We have to retrieve a powerful object before Master Vile gets it. Master Vile is the new villain who showed up today, he's Rita and Rito's father." Tommy explained.

"They have a father?" Pierre breathed in disbelief.

"I still don't understand how Rita and Rito are related." Added Andrew.

"Yeah, we asked the same thing, but we've kind of just accepted that nothing about our enemies makes sense." Kim said to her father.

"So how long will you be gone?" Vivian ventured.

"We don't know that either. However long it takes to retrieve the object."

"And you're taking Kira?" Caroline asked, gesturing to the bags obviously filled with baby stuff.

"Not to retrieve the object, but we're taking her to the Command Centre. We don't know where we're going or how long we'll be gone and we both feel better knowing she's in the securest place on Earth, and arguably one of the safest places in the universe. We don't know what Rita, Zedd and Vile are gonna do when we're gone."

"And there's no way we can talk you out of it?" Andrew asked, earning a shake of their heads.

"We'll be as careful as we can be and we'll be back as soon as possible." Kim promised as she gave each of them a hug in turn before taking Kira from Tommy while he did the same. Although the goodbye was rushed, it could be nothing less as they raced against time to beat Vile to the Shards. With one final goodbye, Tommy and Kim teleported to the Command Centre, immediately going to calm their now wailing baby.

"Billy, have you figured anything out yet?" Tommy asked once Kira quieted, though by the haggard look on the Blue Ranger's face, and the hovering of the others who had already returned, this wasn't the first time he'd been asked that question.

"We've found the energy signatures of the Zeo Shards, but are unable to pinpoint their exact location." He responded.

"And we can't go after them until you do." Tommy gathered.

"Oh, you could go after them." Billy said. "We can go after their energy signatures, but without an exact location, we have no way of getting you back. We'd have to hope that the Shards alone possess enough power to bring you back."

"Any movement from Vile?" Kim asked. "Do we have time to wait for an exact location? Or should we be going on hope?"

"There is movement on the Moon, but Master Vile hasn't gone after the shards just yet." Alpha informed them.

"In other words, he's preparing to go after them, just like we are."

"We can't wait too long." Jason decided. "Billy, Alpha, if you haven't found their exact location in thirty minutes, we're going after them even without a way back." No one disagreed with him, knowing there really wasn't another option; they could not, under any circumstances, let Vile get his hands on the Shards. It was a long thirty minutes, and everyone was disappointed, if not exactly surprised, when Billy and Alpha had yet to locate the Shards' exact location.

"Alright let's gear up." Jason instructed.

"Wait!" Called Billy. The others turned to face him, wondering if he'd found something. "We've determined that there are only five Shards. I think it will be more productive if the five of you go and I remain here to continue looking for a way to bring you back."

"You sure, Billy?" Trini asked.

"I can be of more use here. Besides, we don't know how the magic protecting the Shards will react to two people; it may cause problems."

"Alright." Jason agreed, not wanting to waste any more time. "We'll see you soon, Billy." He emphasized, promising his friend they'd return, whether or not he found a way to bring them home.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"White Ranger Power!"

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Pink Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!

"Red Ranger Power!"

The Rangers teleported out, the coordinates to the locations of the Shards programmed in. This time, the feeling of teleportation felt different, the Rangers attributed it to the fact that they weren't just traveling from point A to point B, but through time and space.

**-T/K-**

The black beam of teleportation dissipated to reveal Zack in a very familiar location, home to many of their battles. The place in time was even familiar, for Zack had already lived it, but something was distinctly off.

"Make way for the Power Rangers!" Mayor Carrington called from the stage with the large banner proclaiming it was Power Rangers Day. Zack felt his legs start to move forward and looked down, unable to remember telling them to move, but his brain stopped working when he saw his black pants and sneakers, not the spandex and boots. It was through a haze that Zack watched himself and the others go up on stage in their civilian forms, a pregnant Kim even joining them this time, as they received the praise of the city with their identities revealed. The others were smiling brightly, clearly enjoying the attention. After the mayor's speech, the Rangers left the stage and mingled with the people, instead of teleporting off as they did in his memory.

"Zack!" someone called, causing him to turn just in time to catch a body as it crashed into him.

"Angela…" he breathed, unable to believe his dream girl was clinging to him, and kissing him.

"That was amazing, Zack. The way you saved everyone and protected the city was awesome!"

"Uh…thanks…" he said unsure what else to say.

"So you still coming over tonight? My parents are so excited to see you again, and my family's excited to meet their favourite Power Ranger."

"Uh…yeah. I just gotta…we just gotta go debrief first, you know, post battle debrief and all. But I'll be there for 7pm?"

"Sounds perfect! Now, go be a hero!" she gushed, earning a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. Turning to his friends, Zack grabbed them by the arm and pulled them away from their adoring fans.

"Zack, what are you doing?" Jason asked.

"Guys, we need to go to the Command Centre." He said in a rush, getting seriously freaked out by that was going on. "Now!" He added when they didn't move a muscle.

"Alright, alright!" they grumbled, smiling back at their fans before hitting their teleportation buttons.

"What's going on? How come people know our identities?" he asked the minute they were in the privacy of their…Command Centre?

"Why are we in Billy's garage?" he backtracked, looking around.

"What?" Tommy laughed as he joined the others in looking at him like he had two heads.

"Why are we in Billy's garage? How come people know our identities?" he asked again.

"We're in Billy's garage cause it's our command centre. And they've always known our identities." Jason answered.

"What about Zordon, and Alpha?" Again the others looked at him weirdly.

"We haven't seen them since they gave us our powers. What's the sudden interest in them?" Asked Trini.

"Why…?" Zack knew he must look entirely crazy to his friends, but he really needed to know what was going on. "Humour me." Deciding to just go along with it, Billy did just that.

"We haven't seen him in awhile, since we decided to reveal our identities."

"And we didn't lose the protection of The Power like he said we would?"

"He needed us to save Earth, he didn't really have much choice except to agree."

"That doesn't make it right."

"You were the one who wanted to. The one who convinced us it would be ok." Said Jason.

"Are you ok, Zack?" Kim asked. "You're acting really weird." Zack smiled, feeling it was just better to go along with it.

"Yeah, yeah I'm cool. I think that monster just got to me a bit. But everything's cool! Now, I've got a date with Angela, so I'll see you all tomorrow!" With one final smile, Zack teleported out back home to his room. Only the room he landed in he could have sworn belonged to his parents, if all his stuff wasn't in it.

"Mom, Dad!" he called, running down the stairs.

"In the kitchen, Zack!" his mother called back.

"Mom, why is my stuff-"

"Oh, honey. We're so proud of you!" His mother rushed to his side, pulling him into a hug. "Saving us like that, was just so brave!" Michael stood beside his wife, smiling his agreement.

"Yeah…uh…why's my stuff in your room?"

"What are you talking about son?" Michael asked.

"My stuff…it's in the master bedroom."

"Well of course it is, sweetie." Tianna said. "Our son the Power Ranger needs more space then that closet you live in before." Completely starting to freak out, Zack nodded and ran back upstairs.

"Ok…so obviously this is an alternate dimension." He reasoned as he began pacing in his new room. "The Zeo Shard is supposed to challenge me on something…but what? What does having known identities test me on?" Zack tried to work that out for the rest of the evening as he got dressed up and headed to Angela's house, making small talk with her adoring family. The pattern continued for two more days. Everywhere he went, everyone fawned over him, people gave him things, teachers gave him answers to tests or told him not to worry about an assignment, there was at least double the people there usually was attending his dance classes at the Youth Centre, Angela clung to him and followed him around like a lost puppy, and his friends basked in the attention the people of Angel Grove gave them. But what was worst of all, the other Rangers seemed to be more concerned with their image then anything else. They'd delay attending a battle until the press had showed up, everything they did for the city was done publicly, and they reaped in the rewards that were showered upon them. Two days after he arrived in this alternate dimension, Zack found a rare moment to himself and went to the park, hiding by the lake, behind some bushes so as not to be disturbed.

"This is completely out of wack." He muttered. "This isn't how it's supposed to be. This _isn't_ how it really is."

"How do you know?" said a voice. Zack jumped up and turned to towards the voice, coming face to face with Adam Park.

"Adam? What are you doing here?"

"This is a parallel universe made up of a combination of the Shard's power and your own imagination. You tell me why I'm here." He replied, taking a seat.

"Wait…my imagination? I'm creating this world?" Zack asked, retaking his own seat.

"Partially at any rate. On more than one occasion you've wanted to reveal your identity, for no other reason than to get the girl, and for other reasons of personal gain."

"So I've had those thoughts occasionally. I'm human. And what, this is an imaginary world of what would happen had we revealed our identities? There's a lot that's off here. Firstly my friends, they'd _never_ put people in danger just to get a close-up. And our parents, they know our identities in the real world, have for months, and my parents would sooner force me to have mind-altering surgery before they'd give me their bedroom."

"You don't know that. This supposedly happened all before Power Rangers Day. That was a couple years ago, and people change."

"Not that much."

"You don't know that." Adam said again.

"Yeah I do." Zack insisted, turning to look Adam in the eyes. "I know my friends."

"Do you know yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't be in this particular world if there wasn't a part of you that didn't want your identity revealed to the world, if you didn't want the rewards that would follow. Like Angela." Zack sighed but didn't hesitate in his answer.

"Like I said, I'm human. There's always going to be something we want that we can't have. And something we think we want which we probably don't. If Angela only wants me because I'm a Ranger then I don't want her. I want someone who will love me for me, not cause I'm a Power Ranger. And I'd _never_ betray Zordon like that and use The Power for personal gain. Even if I didn't think it was wrong, which I do, my love and respect for Zordon would stop me." Adam smiled and stood up, holding his hands out in front of him, palm up.

"Good." Zack jumped up and stared as a wave a green energy cackled around Adam's hands and a long, skinny crystal appeared.

"The Zeo Shard." Zack said.

"It's yours." Adam handed the Shard over and stepped back. The moment Zack's hands closed around the Shard, the parallel dimension began to fade and Zack found himself sucked back into teleportation, a beam of black light taking him home.

**-T/K-**

Jason was unsure what to think when his teleportation beam disappeared to reveal he was in some apartment. He was obviously in the bedroom, as evident by the double bed squished against the wall, though who's bedroom he had no idea. Cautiously, Jason opened the door and looked down the hall. There were two doors, one leading to what was apparently a little girl's room, and the other was to the bathroom. He made his way down the hall, stopping when he heard a sound coming the other end of the hall.

"Hello?" He called out, keeping one hand on his Morpher in case this was a trap, which, in all truthfulness, he was expecting. However, instead of the arrival of a monster, the sound of a thump greeted him followed by little feet running. He had twenty seconds until the source of those feet crashed into him.

"Daddy!" After all the times Kira had greeted him this way, though without the cry of daddy, Jason instinctively reached down and lifted the little girl up. She appeared to be about five years old, had long light brown hair, and a pair of chocolate eyes that were very familiar to him.

"Kira…?" he breathed absolutely confused as to what she was doing here and why she was calling him daddy; though he had no doubt as to the child's identity.

"Oh, good, you're home." Came his mother's voice as she exited the kitchen. "She's all yours. Bye sweetie."

"Bye Grandma!" Kira called before turning back to Jason.

"Daddy, when's Mommy getting home?" Jason stared at Kira, his confusion only ever rising.

"I don't know when Mommy's coming home." He answered finally. The little girl shrugged before turning her sights on her next target.

"Can we go to the park?" His brain beginning to function, Jason made a counter offer.

"Why don't we go see Zordon and Alpha?" He desperately needed answers and there would be no one better to give them to him than those two. His plans, however, were stopped in their tracks by a slight cock of Kira's head.

"Who's Zordon and Alpha?" she asked. Jason's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was hearing. Thankfully, he was saved by the door opening and a familiar dark haired woman walking in.

"Mommy!" Kira cried, jumping out of Jason's arms and into Trini's.

"Hey you!" Trini said enthusiastically.

"Mommy, who's Zordon and Alpha?" Kira asked innocently. Trini's eyes widened, not so much out of surprise, but rather complete and utter shock and horror.

"W-what?" Trini managed to get out.

"Daddy asked me if I wanted to go see them, but I don't know who they are." Trini's eyes shot to Jason and he got the distinct impression he had said something he wasn't supposed to.

"They're no one, sweetie." Trini said when Jason kept his mouth shut. "Why don't you go watch TV? Your dad and I will be in in a minute."

"Ok!" Kira cried happily as she ran off. When the TV began blaring, Trini turned to Jason, fury in her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" She demanded. "How could you bring them up? We've spent five years protecting her from all this and-"

"Woah, woah, hold on. Protect her from what? And why is she calling us mom and dad? Where are Tommy and Kim?" Trini stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"What are you talking about? You know what happened, you were there."

"Pretend for a minute that I wasn't.." he said, his desperation growing. "Explain it to me. Please!" he begged when she still looked at him like he was crazy.

"They're dead, Jason." She said, a calm sorrow washing over her, while Jason felt his world fall apart. "They died in the last battle with Rita and Zedd shortly after Kira was born. They were too powerful for us. You saved me at the last minute, but the others lost their lives. With only two of us we didn't stand a chance so Zordon sacrificed himself to save us all." Her words did not bring any kind of calm or relief, instead it was as if she'd stabbed him in the heart and was twisting the knife.

"H-how." He croaked. "How did Rita and Zedd get the drop on us."

"It was a bunch of different things." She answered. "You made a few decisions as leader that didn't work out and from there, things just spiralled out of control."

"And Kira?"

"She's our goddaughter. We took her in, split the time between my place and yours, then after graduation we moved in here. She was not even two months old when Tommy and Kimberly died. We're the only parents she'll ever know."

"And we're protecting her from this? She has no idea?"

"She's five, Jase, of course she has no idea. And we'll always protect her. There are other Rangers now, but the evil forces are still after her. We don't know why, but they are." Jason nodded, knowing exactly what she was getting at, though she had no idea. Obviously Rita and Zedd had destroyed them before Ooze was released, if Ooze ever was released, and so they had never become Ninjetti, never found out about the prophecy. He wondered how the evil forces found out of it, but there was no other explanation for them going after the daughter of two former Rangers who were dead.

"Do you really not remember any of this?" she asked. Jason sighed, but got a really strong feeling that he shouldn't confirm anything.

"It's coming back to me. It's just, I had a really vivid dream last night and…got a bit disoriented." He didn't give her a chance to say anything else and instead headed into the living room to join Kira. The following day, Jason took Kira to the park as he'd promised. He was glad that she was old enough to run around the playground by herself with him sitting on a nearby bench, watching over her. As his 'daughter' played, Jason wondered exactly what had happened to make the world end up like this.

'_Trini said it started with a few decisions I made as leader.'_ He thought. His fear of screwing up as leader was always present, but right now it reared its ugly head, demanding to be heard. _'But what decisions? How did I screw up? Not that it would be hard…'_

"Harder than you think." Said a voice from beside him. Jason turned to face the newcomer and froze at who he saw.

"Rocky?" he asked.

"Yep."

"What are you doing here? And, did you just read my mind?"

"Yep."

"That still doesn't explain what you're going here."

"We're inside your head, Jason." Throughout the entire conversation, Rocky had been staring at the playground, never looking at the man beside him. Jason followed Rocky's gaze, turning also to check on Kira, only to find them all frozen.

"What the hell?!" Jason cried jumping up.

"Relax, nothing will happen to them. Like I said, this is all inside you're head. We're living your worst fears, the biggest challenge you must overcome to move forward from here."

"You mean this is the challenge for the Zeo Shard?" he asked, realization dawning on him. Rocky nodded.

"So what do I have to do?" Jason asked, sitting back down. "What do I have to do to get the Shard?"

"Prove you are worthy. Prove to The Power that you will not use the Zeo Crystal for evil."

"When have I ever used my powers for evil?" Jason countered.

"In your head."

"So what, this is one of those 'what if' scenarios? Where anything can happen and it'll never end cause there's always more 'what ifs?' "

"Oh there's an end, Jason. You just have to find it."

"What do you want me to say?!" He demanded, starting to get really frustrated. "That yes I worry all the time if my choices as leader will kill my friends, my family, or the world? That yes, sometimes I wonder if I could just use The Power to end this, to destroy Rita and Zedd for good, even if that means taking the battle to them, going against Zordon's rules about not escalating unless we have to? That I wonder, if this was actually my life, if I had lost my friends, lost my sister and was raising her child that I wouldn't want to change things or maybe even get revenge? If we're really in my head then you know I've thought of all those things." Jason paused wondering if Rocky would say anything. When he didn't, Jason took a deep breath and continued. "But you'll also know I'd never actually act on any of them. Yes, I question my choices as leader, wonder if I'm a good leader, and wonder what I'd do if my leadership ever cause irreparable damage. But I trust in my friends. By a weird twist of fate I ended up being the one in Red, the leader. But we're a team. This isn't a dictatorship where they follow my lead or else. They give input constantly, they tell me when I'm completely crazy and that my plan won't work, and they are very blunt about it. I'm the leader, they look to me for strength and guidance, not for me to order them around. And I can't tell you what I'd do if things turned sour because I don't know. That's a 'what if' scenario I hope never happens. And I don't know what else you want me to say." Jason went silent, really having nothing else to say, and so he waited. Eventually, he felt a hand clasp him on the shoulder and turned to face Rocky.

"You've said it all. You needed to realize that being leader does not mean you have all the answers or that you will never screw up. And that's why you have teammates, and great friends. With recent events, Kim almost losing her life, Tommy going Green again, _finally_ admitting your love for Trini…you began to truly question yourself in a way you do when major events like this happen. But this time, to be able to move forward, you had to work it out, come to peace with the fact that Earth may fall while under your leadership."

"But not without a fight." Jason added, seeing what he was getting at. "We fight, we do our best, and we've known from the beginning it may still not be enough. But I've never really come to peace with that fact." With a small smile, Rocky stood up and held his hands out. A beam of blue energy surged around him and disappeared to reveal a piece of crystal.

"I believe this is what you came for." Jason, too, stood and took the crystal from him, smiling slightly himself.

"Thank you." He said, receiving a mere nod in return, though it spoke volumes, and was the last thing he saw before a beam of red light engulfed him, taking him home.

**-T/K-**

Trini's yellow beam dissipated to reveal the Youth Centre, with absolutely nothing different or out of the ordinary. She was surrounded by her friends, Kat included, who were all sitting at their favourite table, with everyone laughing and having a good time. They were discussing the upcoming summer, and the beginning of senior year that followed. The only one missing was Jason who arrived a few minutes later with Kira.

"I think someone missed her godmother." He said. Trini smiled brightly and began to raise her arms to receive the little girl but stopped short hearing her call out for someone else.

"Kat!" Kira cried, reaching out for the other woman. Trini's face fell, now something was wrong.

"Hello, Kira. And how are you today?" The blonde smiled as the little girl happily settled into her arms, a sentiment that was not reciprocated by the dark haired woman across the table.

"Trini are you ok?" Kim asked, seeing her friend's crestfallen expression.

"Y-yeah…of course." Trini breathed, Kim smiled and turned her attention back to Kira.

"Hey, uh, Kim?" Trini asked a couple minutes later. "Didn't you ask me to be Kira's godmother?" She tried to sound casual, as if it was just any other question, even though inside she was freaking out.

"Of course. But you didn't want to." Kim said, not at all seeing anything bigger in her question.

"So you asked Kat? Haven't we only known her for a couple months."

"You were my only female friend until Kat came along. And what do you mean a couple months? Kat came to Angel Grove just after Zedd did over a year ago. Are you sure you're ok, Trini?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." With one last hesitant look, Kim once again turned to her daughter. Trini sat back in her chair and took in a deep breath, her thoughts spiralling out of control. Kat arrived just after Zedd? And most importantly, she said no to being Kira's godmother? How was that possible? Of course it wasn't possible, she knew she was Kira's godmother and that Kat had only arrived in Angel Grove a couple months ago. The only explanation was that this was where her quest for the Zeo Shard had taken her, though time and space and into an alternate dimension. But to what end? This was supposed to be a challenge to determine if she was worthy of the Zeo Shard, how was Kat arriving earlier and being Kira's godmother supposed to test her worthiness? That would be the question and what she'd have to figure out before she could claim the Shard and go back to her own dimension. Things became clearer over the next few days. It was like the others expected her to never be able to make a decision, or have any responsibilities. She was still a Ranger, but the bare minimum. She never went into battle alone, always had someone close by, was never turned to for plans or advice but rather pushed to the background. The thing that struck Trini was that it didn't seem like they were doing this on purpose. It wasn't like she did something to make them not trust her. It was more like this was just the way things were and had always been. It bugged her, she had to admit, and it was what she kept thinking on as time wore on. After four days, Trini grew frustrated and decided it had been far too long looking for an answer, so she went out to the park on her own, determined that by the end of a day she'd have her answer and she'd have the Zeo Shard.

"The change must have come from me." She decided as she walked through the grass to stay away from prying eyes and ears. "They're not doing something deliberate. It's like, I'm different, and they've adapted to this new me. But what? I haven't done anything as far as I can tell…"

"Well maybe that's it." A voice said from her left as a woman, about Kim's height, came up beside her.

"Aisha?" Trini asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Hey girl."

"What are you doing here? How do you know what I'm thinking."

"Well besides the fact that you were talking out loud…this dimension was made from your thoughts and fears. You'd have to tell me why I'm here."

"So are you like, a guide or something? Just taking on Aisha's form?"

"I guess. Like I said, it's your world, I'm just in it."

"But why would I create a world where I'm…dismissed? Where it's like I don't know what I'm doing?"

"A world where you haven't done anything. And not just anything bad, but nothing good either."

"Hey, I'm still a Ranger!"

"Ok, so not 'nothing good,' more like nothing good within your circle of friends. No going the extra mile."

"But why?"

"Girl, I can't give you all the answers, or really any answers. This is _your_ world, in _your_ mind, _you _have the answers."

"Then why are you here?" Trini demanded.

"To give you someone to argue with, bounce ideas off of." Trini sighed in frustration and ran her hands through her hair. Looking around, she saw a nearby tree and headed over, sitting under it and waiting until Aisha sat beside her.

"So not doing anything. My inactivity is what caused this universe. But why?"

"That's something you gotta work through." Aisha answered. "The only thing I can say is the stereotypical and cheesy 'look deep inside your heart and you'll find the answer.' " Trini sighed again, but knew Aisha was right. And maybe it wasn't as cheesy as she thought. When they had gained their Animal Spirits, Dulcea had told them to look deep inside and find the power. This was the same thing, only she was looking for answers. As she replayed the last four days, as well as the last few years, one thing stuck out: her desire to do something in desperate situations, and her feelings of inadequacy when she couldn't.

"I couldn't help them." Said whispered as tears came to her eyes, every desperate situation they had gotten into playing through her mind. Most predominantly Kim's capture and time on the Moon, and Kira's fate. "Kim suffered and I did nothing, Kira…she's just a baby and her future's laid out for her and it may not be a good one."

"And you think it's your fault?"

"I don't know, I just…my best friend suffered, my goddaughter might suffer, they've all gone through things and I couldn't help them."

"Could you have helped them?"

"I don't know. I wanted to, I wanted to help them so badly. When I couldn't, I felt…useless. What good am I, what kind of Power Ranger am I if I can't protect my family?"

"Well Earth hasn't fallen yet, I'd say you've protected them pretty damn well."

"So what is this universe?" Trini asked, changing the subject. "A 'nothing ventured nothing gained' one? All my insecurities and worries multiplied to the point where I'll do what I have to, put beyond that I live by the rule that if I don't put myself out there I can't get hurt?" Aisha said nothing and allowed Trini to work this out on her own. "But that's not me. I try my best, no matter what, and I do everything I can to protect my friends and family. Just sometimes it's not enough, and sometimes there's nothing I can do."

"You went with the others to save Kim, you didn't just sit by and wait for her to rescue herself when you knew she was in danger."

"Yeah. And Tommy was determined to have her, he made it so we couldn't take her away again. There was nothing else we could have done."

"But did you stop looking?" Trini shook her head.

"No, of course not. We came up with a million plans and were sorting through them to find one that would work when we got the call that she was back and Tommy was free."

"So what does that tell us?" Aisha asked in a condescending tone, a smirk playing on her face. Trini laughed but answered her none the less.

"That I'm not a wallflower and will never be one."

"And…"

"And that I may not be able to protect my family all the time, but I'll try. Even in impossible situations, I don't give up."

"Now was that so hard girl?" Aisha quipped as she held her hands out, summoning a long crystal in a flash of yellow.

"The Zeo Shard…" Trini whispered, taking the proffered crystal into her hands. "That's it? That was my challenge?"

"Not every challenge is fighting monsters of epic proportions, nor do they always seem difficult. But it's those challenges that are often the hardest. Admitting to yourself your fears and shortcomings, and yes, even admitting your strengths. Sometimes that one can be even harder."

"Thanks, Aisha." Trini said, standing up and preparing to leave.

"You're welcome. Now go, girl!" With a smile, Trini felt the familiar pull of teleportation and eagerly gave into it, ready to go home.

**-T/K-**

Jason and Zack were waiting with Billy in the Command Centre when she arrived and she quickly found herself enveloped in her boyfriend's embrace.

"Thank god you're alright." He murmured into her hair.

"You too." She said back, holding him just as tightly. When they let go of each other, Billy and Zack greeted her, and she couldn't be happier to be home. Her friends were still her friends in the other dimension, but it wasn't the same.

"Did you get it?" Billy asked, though he already knew the answer. Trini simply smiled and held up the Shard. It glowed yellow for a moment, and Trini's eyes were drawn to the other two Shards, which glowed a green and blue respectively, as if welcoming another piece to their whole. Trini placed her Shard next to the others before turning back to Jason, Zack, and Billy.

"Tommy and Kim aren't back yet?"

"No. But hopefully it won't be long." Billy said. Jason, Zack, and Trini shared a look.

"Was your test some kind of alternate universe, self-reflection thing?" Trini asked. They both nodded and she sighed in worry and frustration. "Those two have gone through so much, I'm a bit scared what they'll have to go through. I can't even imagine what must be going through their heads."

"Don't worry." Jason said as he wrapped an arm around her. "They're Tommy and Kim. They always pull through." Trini nodded, knowing he was right. Any other musings were cut off by the sound of her goddaughter crying. A smile formed on her face, though she tried to school it, as a baby crying shouldn't really be cause for a smile, as she walked over to the playpen and picked the little girl up.

"I don't know what your alternate universes were like, but I certainly missed this." Even with a crying baby on her hands, it was definitely good to be home. She just hoped the other two made it back safely as well.

* * *

**A/N - Part 1 of 2. Well 3 if you count 'A Zeo Beginning.' I tried not to make this whole self-reflection, learn a lesson, thing too cheesy, but it's not entirely avoidable, and of course their challenge had to be something along these lines and not just a battle to defeat a monster. That would be too easy and a lot less fun to write. Kim and Tommy's challenge is next followed by 'A Zeo Beginning' as already stated. **

**Review please!**


	26. Sowing the Seas of Evil

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 26 – Sowing the Seas of Evil**

* * *

A Pink beam of light faded on the edge of a field by a stream that led into a wooded area. Kim looked around and seeing a house behind her, decided to head off into the woods. She had no idea where she was or who's house that was, and until she figured some things out, it was probably better if she didn't let anyone see her. She took a step towards the stream, seeing that she could jump over it, but stopped when she felt her back begin to prickle. She reached behind her and allowed her hand to rest above the mark that still graced her skin. Hesitantly, she took another step forward, seeing what would happen, and immediately jumped back when the prickling turned into a sharp pain. Kim's brows knit together, wondering how the hell walking away from a field and a house she had never seen before could constitute disobeying or leaving Tommy, for that was the only explanation for the mark beginning to burn. An answer came when a door to the house opened, though it was not the answer she had expected. Tommy came out of the house, but there was something off about him, namely the fact that his long hair was gone and had been replaced by short spikes. He also appeared to be nearly ten years older then she remembered him.

"Tommy…?" she asked when he drew near.

"Who else were you expecting?" he smiled back at her before grabbing her hand and leading her back to the house.

"Tommy what was that?" she asked as they went. No matter what was different, this was Tommy, she had absolutely no doubt about that, and so she could not hide her arrival in what appeared to be an alternate universe even if she wanted to.

"You tried to cross the border." He answered as if he was commenting on the weather. Obviously he had not yet figured out she was a different Kimberly than the one he was used to, and with the recent events of his controlling her fresh in her mind, his answer did not sit well with her.

"The border?" she asked, pulling away and staring him down. "You can't mean a border that prevents me from leaving what I assume to be our house?" she was giving him a blatant hint as to her identity, and to his credit, he caught on relatively fast.

"Kim…?" he whispered, knowing it was her, for their bond allowed no doubt, but with her hint and his mind clearing from her attempt to leave, it became blatantly obvious she wasn't _his_ Kim. "What…I…" he could think of no explanation for her appearance here, though while confused, it was still Kim.

"I'm on a quest to retrieve a great power. I assume this is an alternate dimension or something as we were supposed to be traveling through time and space. I'm supposed to be facing a challenge that will prove my worthiness of the power. So why don't you explain things to me so I can figure out what that challenge is. Though if you've really set a perimeter around the house which I can't leave, as if I'm a dog, I might have an idea what it is." Even with this different Kim, Tommy saw the warning signs and wisely did as she asked.

"There's not much to tell. We graduated high school and shortly after finished our term as Rangers, passing on The Power to the next generation. We moved here to Reefside, I got a job at the local high school, and that's about it." Kim shot him a look that clearly said she knew that wasn't it and there was no way he was getting away with leaving it at that.

"First, that's a very abbreviated version of what happened." She said. "Second, did you really think you could hide the truth from me? Third, you did not explain why there's a perimeter I can't leave, and fourth…you haven't mentioned Kira." That was the part that scared her. The Tommy she knew loved to talk about Kira, it was his favourite subject actually, and there were only two reasons she could think of for him not mentioning her: either they had never had her in this dimension, which she dismissed as their bond was intact, or something had happened to her. Everything else took a back seat as her second theory proved true and she watched as Tommy's hands clenched, his jaw setting in anger, at the same time that his eyes filled with tears.

"Tommy what happened?" Kim demanded, fear filling her at the thought of something happening to her baby. Even if this was an alternate dimension, even if it wasn't real and she'd eventually return to the real world, it was still her baby.

"The prophecy." He said, gearing up to tell her the story. "Not long after we moved to Reefside, shortly after her tenth birthday, she met the guy the prophecy spoke of. The one she'd be bound to like you are to me. We don't know how they met; we don't even know his name. We came home one day and she was packing a bag, said that he was forcing her to leave." Tears were now streaming down his face, something that was reciprocated by Kim, and his voice was completely choked up as he finished the story. "She ran out the back door towards a tall, taller than me, white male with ear length brown hair. That was all we saw before they disappeared, couldn't even get any facial features. That was three years ago next month. We haven't seen or heard from her since." Kim covered her mouth with her hands to try and stifle her sobs, though Tommy was sobbing loud enough she needn't have bothered.

"We searched and searched." Tommy continued. "Got all the Rangers involved, Billy ran a planet wide search while Andros, Leo and their teams led a search throughout the universe, hell even Lightspeed Rescue got involved…but nothing." There were references in there to what she assumed to be Ranger teams who had yet to be formed, but her mind barely even registered that fact, focused entirely on the fact that her daughter was missing, with a man who could be doing god knows what to her. The two held each other for a while, Kim unable to believe that that had happened, and Tommy reliving it all.

"That's why there's a border, I created it out of fear. I lost my daughter, I couldn't lose you too." Kim didn't even care about that anymore. Nothing but the fact that her daughter was missing, kidnapped by someone who had complete control over her, mattered.

"Oh, Tommy…I can't believe you had to go through that."

"You did to." Kim shook her head.

"No. I'm from the past, Tommy, and quite probably another dimension as well. Where I come from Kira's still a baby, safely tucked in her playpen at the Command Centre, and we're still Rangers. I can't imagine what you're going through." After a few more minutes Tommy calmed down enough to turn his mind to something other than his grief.

"Uh…we gotta get you back." He said. "You came here for a power, let's find it and send you home."

"No." Kim said fervently. "I'm not going anywhere until we find our daughter."

"But she's in the other dimension waiting for you. And the world needs you."

"The world can go fuck itself for all I care." Tommy looked at her in shock. Never had any of them said anything like that, especially when they were Rangers. "This is my daughter, different dimension or not, she is my daughter and I swore from the moment I found out I was pregnant that our baby would come first no matter what. The Kira I left behind is safe in the Command Centre, and the others can get on without me. I am _not_ leaving here until we find her."

"It's been three years, Kim." Tommy said shaking his head in despair. "What hope do we have?"

"There is always hope, Handsome." She smiled softly at him, determination shining in her eyes. "We're Ninjetti, and the Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies. Anything is possible." Looking into her eyes, Tommy felt hope for the first time in three years. Although still unsure, he nodded his head and gave her his hands. Just like old times, the two close their eyes and looked deep inside, calling on all the power of their Animal Spirits. Tommy and Kim had naturally tried this when Kira had first disappeared; however, there was one big difference between then and now. Where before both had been completely distraught, feeling no hope at ever finding their daughter, this Kim was set in hard determination, a brightness he had not seen in three years shining through their bond and giving it extra power. The Crane and Falcon soared once again, calling out to their child; searching through The Great Power for the brightest signature of them all, for the one tied to the prophecy.

As if feeling their determination, as well as their desperation, The Great Power answered their call and they saw a bright light enter their vision, undoubtedly Kira, only she wasn't alone. There was another bright light attached to her, her supposed mate, the one who had taken her from them years ago. What surprised them was that as they used The Power to try and bring their daughter back to them, they encountered no resistance from her mate, though he did not let her come alone. The lights grew brighter and until it was all they saw. When the light dissolved, the two opened their eyes, not daring to hope for anything in case nothing had happened. However, upon their vision clearing, their hearts stopped for a moment at the sight of two figures in the distance by the tree line. One of them was the tall, brown haired man Tommy had spoken off, though just as before his features were obscured. The other was a short woman with long wavy hair the colour of honey who appeared to be just entering her teen years. Her features were not obscured and Kim could make out chocolate eyes so like hers and a smile that reminded her of Tommy.

"Mom! Dad!" She cried as she broke into a run, slamming into her parents and holding on for dear life. Her embrace would have been borderline suffocating if the two of them hadn't been so engrossed in her, holding on just as tight.

"Kira…" They breaths came in short and ragged as they tried to calm themselves enough to be able to truly look at her. Both their eyes scanned for bruises or injuries but came up with none, allowing them to breathe just a bit easier. When the urgency to hold her close had subsided somewhat, both Tommy and Kim turned back to the man who hadn't moved from his place by the trees, having only shifted to cross his arms.

"That's him." Tommy growled. "God, he's gotta be in his twenties." Kim turned to look at Tommy, an expression of confusion on her face, for the man's features were still completely obscured to her, the only identifiable features being his height and hair colour.

"You can see his face?" she asked. Tommy nodded.

"Can't you?" Kim shook her head no but any further inquiry was stopped as a flash of pink light materialized in front of her, presenting the Zeo Shard.

"Your quest is over." Tommy said with a small smile. "Of course this would be the Zeo Quest."

"But what challenge did I overcome?" she asked, her thoughts going all over the place, leaving her unable to think properly.

"Considering Kira's been missing for three years I'd say you overcame a very big challenge."

"But-"

"You needed to prove that you wouldn't use the Zeo Crystal for evil purposes. You would have sacrificed Earth to bring Kira back; there's nothing purer than a parent's love for their child."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kira asked.

"It's a long story." Tommy said. "I'll tell you about it later. Go." He said to Kim. Upon his words she felt the familiar feeling of teleportation begin to overtake her.

"Mom!" Kira cried, looking horrified at seeing her mother begin to disappear.

"It's ok, sweetie." Kim reassured her. "Your father will explain everything. I love you, I can't wait to watch you grow up." Her words did not really reassure Kira, but she was stopped from any other complaints as a beam of pink light engulfed Kim and disappeared into the sky.

**-T/K-**

Tommy was in a state of shock when his white teleportation beam let up to reveal his old room at the Moon Palace. Nothing had changed, it was exactly as he remembered, and that scared him. But it was nothing compared to the fear he felt when a very pregnant Kimberly came out of the bathroom.

"Kim…" he muttered, not believing what he was seeing. Her head snapped up hearing her name, though he was glad to note the look in her eyes did not speak of the terror he had seen when she had been in this room; though he also noted the love he was used to seeing wasn't really there either.

"Hello Tommy." She said before averting her eyes and coming around the bed to reach the dresser. Tommy took note that the chain he remembered was no longer around her wrist, but he supposed that was due to the lack of fight within her. As she ignored him and got dressed, Tommy used that time to search their bond for answers. He came up short, however, when the bond wasn't there, at least not like he was used to. The Falcon could not find the Crane within the Kim that stood before him; the presence of his mate was distantly there, it was not reachable. He concluded then that this was not _his_ Kim, but one from another time, and another place, if her being pregnant and still in this room was anything to go by. Tommy waited until Kim was dressed to ask her the million questions running through his mind.

"Kim, we need to talk." He said, taking her hand and sitting with her on the bed. She gave him a questioning look but didn't respond in any way. "I want you to tell me what happened after I captured you. Everything from the moment you woke up in this room for the first time." Her questioning look became one of pure confusion.

"Tommy, you already know-"

"No, I don't. I'll explain why after, but please, tell me what happened. And I mean everything." He laid a hand on her rounded belly, making it clear he wanted to know how she had gotten pregnant, if he had still raped her; though truthfully he already knew. Kim shot him another confused look, something was off with him, but he was certainly still Tommy. Not knowing exactly why she was acquiescing to his request, maybe it was because he'd actually asked and said please instead of just demanding, but whatever it was she took a deep breath to calm herself before beginning the whole sordid tale.

"I woke up chained to your bed, but I was alone for awhile. Long enough to come to the conclusion that I couldn't escape all on my own. You showed up and we…made love…" her words were forced and Tommy figured the version of him she was used to didn't let her call it rape, he wanted her to love him after all, not to be seen as her tormentor. While Kim may have been hesitant to call it what it was, Tommy was not.

"When I raped you, you mean." Kim flinched but otherwise showed no sign she'd heard him and continued on as if he hadn't spoken.

"The Rangers tried to rescue me and only succeeded in getting the mark on my back. After that things became routine. You'd fight the Ranger and they'd fight back while I remained in this room. You grew stronger, strong enough to fight Rita. You made it clear that you didn't work for her anymore, but until the Rangers were destroyed you'd be allies. Shortly after I found out I was pregnant. You were happy, and made sure I got the best care possible, using your magic so none of the doctors knew who we were. They're the only times I've been down to Earth in eight months. Otherwise I've stayed in this room. You beefed up security using both Rita's magic and your own powers so no one can get in or out without your express permission, not Rita or Goldar, not the Rangers, and not me."

"In other words, even though the chain's gone you're still just as much of a prisoner as ever." He growled, as he stood and began pacing. What had happened in this universe? Obviously he had not been freed from Rita's spell and was still evil, but why?

"Tommy, what are you…why are you…" Kim asked after a moment having passed confused about ten minutes ago. Tommy stopped his pacing and came to sit back down, ready to tell his story.

"I'm not the Tommy you know." He started and had to quickly continued before she could say anything. "I'm dead serious, Kim. I'm from the future. And a different dimension apparently. In my past, everything you said up to where I raped you happened. I…I still raped you." He confessed. "But not the first night and when I did, I finally broke the spell. We went back to Earth, I joined the Rangers and we went back to fighting evil. You still got pregnant though, and we have a beautiful daughter who's turning two soon. We're a family, and we're happy." Kim just stared at him, shocked by what she was hearing. Under normal circumstances she'd have called him crazy and be done with it. But after eight months she knew Tommy well enough to tell when he was lying. She also couldn't deny that physically he was different. He looked older, the mullet was gone, having grown out to be longer than hers, he was also wearing white, which she had never seen him wear before, and most importantly, he was in possession of a communicator which she knew Billy and Alpha would have had to have made for him.

"Ok, so say you're right." She said after a moment. "Why are you here? What are you trying to do here?"

"I'm on a mission to retrieve a great power, and am supposed to be facing a challenge to prove I'm worthy of it. But before I find the power, I'm going to help you."

"Help me? Help me how? I'm stuck here unless he says otherwise."

"Unless _I_ say otherwise." Tommy countered. "I may not be the Tommy you're used to, but I'm still Tommy, and I say that you are free to go. All other commands to keep you here or stop you from going places, they're gone." Kim felt the magic wash over her as it did with every command he gave her, but this time, instead of a heaviness accompanying it, she felt lighter, freer then she had in a long time.

"Are you serious?" she choked out as tears began to stream down her face.

"Yes. I'm getting you out of here, Kim. I'll take you to the Command Centre and we'll decide where to do from there."

"He'll just come after me though." She said. "And he'll be furious I left…" that thought had her sitting right back down, contemplating whether or not she actually wanted to leave now.

"I know he will. I'm counting on it."

"What?!" Kim's head shot up to face him, her face clearly stating she thought that was just about the dumbest thing anyone had ever said.

"Someone needs to put him in his place. Who better then himself?" Kneeling down before her, Tommy took Kim's hands in his and looked her straight in the eye. "I will protect you, Kim, and our daughter. Always. Doesn't matter what time or dimension, I will always protect you. And I am not leaving here until I know you're safe."

"What about your mission?"

"It can wait." He said so simply. "Let's go." Not daring to believe that this was actually happening, but also unable to stop herself from finding out, Kim allowed him to help her stand and hold her close as he hit the teleportation button on his communicator.

"Aye yai yai! Intruder! Intruder!"

"Calm down, Alpha." Tommy said, having fully expected this response.

"Alpha!" Kim let out a small cry before practically throwing herself at the robot that she hadn't seen in eight months.

"Kimberly!" he cried upon recognizing the petite woman attached to him. "Aye yai yai!"

"KIMBERLY!" Kim spun around, accepting Tommy's support so she didn't fall when the action made her lose her balance.

"Zordon!" She all but whispered as she stared up her once mentor. "I've missed you so much."

"AS WE HAVE MISSED YOU, KIMBERLY. ALPHA, CONTACT THE OTHER RANGERS."

"Right away!" Tommy went unnoticed as the two were focused entirely on Kimberly, even more so when Jason, Trini, Zack, and Billy arrived, engulfing her in a big group hug after their shock had worn off. Eventually though, the moment ended and Jason, who seemed to have found his voice first, though it was still heavy with tears, asked the question on all their minds.

"How…?"

"Articulate as ever I see." Kim joked, though her own voice wasn't much stronger. "He brought me back." She turned to face Tommy, who stepped out of the shadows and allowed his presence to be known. The reaction was as he expected; cries of outrage was heard all around as Kim was shoved behind them all.

"What is he doing here?" Jason growled menacingly, a look of pure fury written on his face.

"I'm not here to fight you, Jase." Tommy said, staying far back with his hands completely visible. "It's a very long story, but I'm not the Tommy you all know."

"Oh right because we're just gonna believe-"

"Yes, you are." Tommy's tone brooked no argument and it had the others back on the defense. "I'm not of this time, nor this dimension. A lot of what's happening here happened in mine as well, but not everything. Namely that Kim was only my captive for three days before I was free from the spell. As I am now, it's getting on three years after these events, I'm no longer the Green Ranger, but the White Ranger, we have new powers and a new enemy." No one knew what to say, unsure if he was telling the truth or playing them, though they were inclined to believe he was playing them.

"AND WHAT, EXACTLY, IS YOUR PURPOSE IN THIS TIME AND PLACE?" Zordon asked, ever the one to trust and be open minded.

"You sent me on a quest to retrieve a great power to save Earth." He told his mentor. "I'm supposed to be facing a challenge to determine if I'm worthy of the power or not. And I have a pretty good idea what it is." He muttered the last part when the alarms blared and a flash of green entered the Command Centre. Tommy silently wondered why, after eight months, his energy signature wasn't barred from the Command Centre.

"How did you escape?" his counterpart hissed at Kim as she cowered behind her friends.

"I-"

"I let her out." Tommy spoke up and stepped forward, drawing the Green Ranger's attention.

"What?!" said the Green Ranger upon seeing, well, himself.

"I have a job to do so I'm gonna keep this short." Tommy snarled as he approached his counterpart, disgust by what he was, and what he himself had been, filling him. "I'm you, just a better, wiser version who didn't let the evil control him for long. Kim is free because I, that is to say you, set her free. And she'll remain free."

"Like hell-!" his air supply was cut off as Tommy grabbed his neck, squeezing hard, his own Green Ranger powers surfacing, though he swore that this time it would be himself that fought this evil, not another evil.

"She will stay free. You should be protecting her and making sure she's happy, not keeping her as your prisoner." Tommy tossed the Green Ranger aside and pulled out his Morpher.

"It's Morphin' Time! White Ranger Power!"

Once morphed, Tommy grabbed his counterpart and teleported them both to Angel Grove Park where the two engaged in battle.

"Eight months? How could you keep her locked in that room for eight months?" Tommy growled.

"She belongs to me!"

"She belongs _with_ you not _to_ you. You don't own her." It was clear from the beginning that Tommy had the upper hand, knowing his own fighting style as well as the Green Ranger powers, whereas his counterpart had to adapt both to the not-yet-created White Ranger powers, as well as Tommy's fighting style which had grown and evolved since he was the Green Ranger.

"She'll leave me!" the Green Ranger cried when he got knocked down hard. Tommy heard the desperation in his voice and knew exactly what was running through his counterpart's mind.

"Maybe. And it's your own damn fault if she does." He said as the Green got back up and launched on the attack. "She has every right to leave you if that's what she wants. But one thing about Kim is that she has the biggest heart out of everyone, you never know what might happen."

"I won't let her leave me! I won't let her take my child!"

"It's her child too, dumb ass." Tommy muttered as he landed a kick. So far the Green Ranger had only been using the Dragon Dagger, and he was waiting for the other weapon, hoping to provoke him into using it. "If you don't want her to leave you then you should be trying to convince her to stay based on the person you are, not forcing her to stay because you have the power to do so."

"How can you say that? If you're really me how can you stand there telling me to let her go?"

"It's because I have been where you are that I can tell you that." Tommy's voice took on a softer tone, purposefully trying to reach the good in the Green Ranger. "I've been where you are, I forced her to be with me, bound her to me so she could never leave. But it was wrong, I caused her so much pain that to this day still haunts her, still haunts us. But you know what convinced me to let her go? Her heart. Through everything I did to her, even as I ripped her clothes off, chained her to the bed and raped her, she forgave me. She knew it wasn't my fault, even though to this day I don't see how it wasn't. I let her go because I knew, at the very least, that I'd have her in my life as a friend, I saw in her eyes that she wouldn't just leave me. Then we found out she was pregnant, we cried some more and moved on for our child, moved on together, and we haven't looked back; we have a beautiful daughter and we couldn't be happier. And the best part, is that it's her choice." Tommy stopped and allowed his words to sink in. If things were at all similar, the good in him would be fighting, but the spell would tamper it, making him more aggressive and erratic. He watched as the Green Ranger grabbed his head and fell to his knees, but it wasn't long before he was back up, and Tommy placed his hand on Saba in preparation.

"No, she's mine!" the Green Ranger roared as he summoned the Sword of Darkness and charged the White Ranger. Thanking whatever deity was out there, Tommy dodged the blow and quickly brought Saba down on the Sword of Darkness, cutting it in two and breaking the spell. With a spell of such strength, which he'd been under for the better part of a year, instantly gone, the Green Ranger de-morphed and fell unconscious. Tommy didn't waste any time in grabbing hold of him and teleporting back to the Command Centre. It was weird carrying himself to the med bay, but he shook it off and quickly returned to the main room after ensuring he was safely tucked in.

"That was incredible." Billy said as he came to examine the suit and Saba. Tommy allowed Billy a quick examination before he de-morphed and turned to those gathered.

"The spell is broken." He said. "The guy in the med bay is no longer evil. He's just like me, but will have a lot of guilt and self-hatred for a while." He turned to face Kim directly and took her hand in his, speaking softly, though aware the others could hear him. "The spell binding you to him will never go away. But when the time comes that you trust him, it can turn into something wonderful. It's gonna be a long road, eight months longer than the one I dealt with, but if you have that big heart my Kimberly does, it will all be worth it. I love you, Kim, always have and always will, no matter the time or dimension. He loves you to, the evil Rita infused in him just turned it into an obsession and wouldn't let the love he feels shine through; but he does love you." Tears came to Kim's eyes, the events of the past day, as well as the last eight months, catching up with her. "You don't know it yet, but you are the Crane, the Winged Lady to my Winged Lord, the Falcon. We are destined to be together." Tommy gave her a kiss on the forehead before turning from her to the others who didn't even try to pretend they weren't listening. "Now it's time for me to go. I have a mission to complete." It was as if The Power had been waiting for those words, for as soon as they left his mouth a spark of red light flashed before him, revealing the long, thin crystal of his objective.

"The Zeo Shard." He muttered, clutching it tightly in his hand. Looking up, he gave one last nod to those gathered before allowing the familiar feeling of teleportation to overwhelm him and take him home.

**-T/K-**

Tommy arrived at the Command Centre not long after Kim had returned. He silently handed Billy the Zeo Shard before going over and making sure his daughter was ok. It was a habit which neither he nor Kim could break, even if they knew she was safe as she had been in the Command Centre the entire time. The two shared a look as Kim passed Kira to Tommy. Being back together, they could both see exactly what the other had faced and Tommy had to admit that while his challenge had scared him, it was nothing compared to Kim's. He saw her memories of discovering she was a prisoner, though didn't know why, the explanation of why and the revelation that their daughter had been taken from them for three years by the man in the prophecy, who he saw only as clearly as Kim had. He wondered how much of that was really going to be their future. He had gone to the past, but the events were very similar. What if The Power sent Kim just to the future and not another dimension? Kim's thoughts were along the same line, though both of them were brought out of their thoughts by Zordon.

"YOU HAVE DONE VERY WELL, RANGERS. I AM PROUD OF ALL OF YOU. IT IS NO EASY FEAT TO RETRIEVE THE ZEO SHARDS AND YOU SUCCEEDED ADMIRABLY. AND NOW THE ZEO CRYSTAL IS SAFE FROM MASTER VILE AND THE HANDS OF EVIL."

"Zordon, don't they all go together somehow?" Trini asked as she looked to the five Shards which were lined up along the control panel. "I mean, they are shards right?"

"THAT IS CORRECT. RETRIEVE YOUR ZEO SHARD, RANGERS, AND HOLD IT HIGH ABOVE YOU." The Rangers did as instructed, Billy taking hold of Kira for Tommy and Kim. The five of them formed a circle and raised their Shards above their heads. The Shards faintly began to glow their respective colours before an explosion of light had the Rangers turning their heads away. They felt the Shards leave their hands and when the light dimmed, they returned their gaze upwards, but instead of five individual shards, there was one whole crystal. The Zeo Crystal floated down and landed in Tommy's hands. He could feel the power radiating off it and it was no wonder Master Vile had been after it. No sooner had that thought entered his head did the alarms blare. Everyone turned in the direction of the Viewing Globe and saw Rito and Goldar leading one of the largest groups of Tengas they had ever seen.

"They're right at our door!" Jason exclaimed, seeing that the beasts were climbing the hill leading up to the outside of the Command Centre.

"They must know we have the Zeo Crystal." Billy surmised as he handed Kira back to her parents and went over to the control panels.

"They can't get in though, right?" Zack asked. "We're protected against anyone without a Power Coin, or express permission."

"Affirmative. I do not know what Rita and Zedd intend by attacking our impenetrable Command Centre."

"It may be impenetrable." Jason said, a hard look on his face as he continued to watch the Viewing Globe. "But is it bomb resistant?" His words had the others whipping around to face the Viewing Globe, just in time to see Goldar and Rito set up a very large bomb, with a timer of five minutes.

"Let's move!" Jason cried.

"Alpha, teleport Kira out of here, now!" Tommy ordered as he fell into line.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"White Ranger Power!"

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Pink Ranger Power!"

"Blue Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!"

"Red Ranger Power!"

The six Rangers teleported out, landing just outside the Command Centre and immediately launching on the attack. They now had four minutes to diffuse that bomb, and the Tengas weren't going to make it easy. Each one of them fought like they were possessed; the lives of Alpha and Zordon depending upon their success. After two minutes of battle, in which they made no headway, Jason had had enough.  
"Enough of this! Power Blaster!"

"Power Axe!"

"Power Bow!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!"

"Power Sword!"

The Rangers charged up and fired the blaster in a wide arch, keeping the power blast going and taking down as many Tengas as they could. Once they had cleared a path, Tommy made a beeline for the bomb, but had no idea what do to.

"Billy! How do I diffuse this thing?!" With the majority of the Tengas destroyed and the rest running for cover, Billy broke away from the others and ran to Tommy's side. Taking a quick look at the bomb, he was pleased by what he found.

"Thankfully they're not that smart." He said as he ripped away two wires that connected the fuse to the explosives. "Bomb diffused." He said, everyone sighed in relief.

"Let's get back to the Command Centre." Jason said.

"And send this thing as a gift to Rita and Zedd." Zack added.

"Hey, did anyone see Rito and Goldar?" Kim asked. The Power Blaster stunt was indeed powerful, but usually they didn't give up so easily. Where the Tengas failed in keeping the Rangers from the bomb, Rito and Goldar should have been there as back up.

"They must have left with the other bird-brains." Tommy guessed. Kim shrugged and accepted that, they had run before after all. But she still had a bad feeling as they all teleported back inside. De-morphing, the Rangers' relief was apparent and they came together in a group hug. Their own challenges, followed by this, was a lot and they were looking forward to going home and relaxing. But fate had different plans for them. Still locked in their group hug, the Rangers felt the Command Centre tremble.

"What was that?" Kim asked.

"An earthquake?" Zack asked hopefully. His hopes were dashed, however, as the trembling turned into full out rocking, with pieces of the ceiling falling down on them.

"What's happening?" Jason cried. Billy stumbled over to the control panels, joining Alpha in his search for the source. More rubble came down as they waited for answers, forcing the Rangers to duck for cover.

"Aye yai yai yai yai!" Alpha cried after a third bout of shaking.

"Rito and Goldar have planted a bomb!" Billy called.

"But we destroyed it!" Trini retorted.

"It was a decoy! While we were dealing with the Tengas and that bomb, Rito and Goldar entered some old tunnels below the Command Centre and planted another one."

"Then we'll destroy that one too!" Jason said.

"There's no time!" Billy yelled over the falling of more rubble. "We have to evacuate! Now!" he roared when no one moved. Billy never roared, but it had its desired effect of forcing them into action.

"Zordon! How do we get you out of here?" Tommy asked as he and the others wracked their brain for a way to get a floating head in a time warp tube outside.

"YOU MUST GO RANGERS!" he said, not answering their question.

"We're not leaving you!" Kim cried.

"ALPHA, TELEPORT THEM TO SAFETY."

"No! Alpha, don't, we're not leaving you guys!" Zack insisted.

"NOW, ALPHA!"

"No! Zordon, Alpha…!" Kim screamed as Alpha punched in the code and the six of them were teleported out. They landed at the bottom of the hill, a safe distance from the Command Centre. Turning towards it, the Rangers began running back, determined to save their _all_ their family. Before they had made it twenty feet, however, a large explosion was heard. The Rangers looked up in time to see the Command Centre, along with Zordon and Alpha, be blown to smithereens.

* * *

**A/N - And there you have it, the end of Mighty Morphin! The end of this fic is in sight (but not that close, don't worry) with only Zeo and half of Turbo left. 3 seasons down, 1 1/2 to go! **

**Review please!**


	27. A Zeo Beginning

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers_

* * *

**Chapter 27 – A Zeo Beginning **

* * *

The Rangers looked up in time to see the Command Centre, along with Zordon and Alpha, be blown to smithereens.

"NOOOOO!" Kim and Trini screamed as they surged forward, desperate to reach Zordon and Alpha. Tommy and Jason reached out and grabbed them locking their arms around them and holding them fast as they tried to escape.

"Let me go, Tommy!"

"Jason let go!"

"It's no use, they're gone." Tommy muttered.

"No! No, they can't be!" Kim collapsed against him as Trini did the same with Jason, both beginning to sob. The boys too had tears streaming down their faces as they all came together to comfort each other. By the time they had calmed down enough to pull apart, the dust had settled and the rubble atop the hill was smoking, a few flames were visible, but no blazing inferno. Without a word, all six Rangers began the trek up the hill, none of them saying a word, but fresh tears coming to their eyes upon seeing the carnage that was once their Command Centre.

"It's gone…all of its gone." Jason muttered. Trini wrapped an arm around him in support as they continued through the rubble looking for any sign of Alpha or Zordon. After an extensive search, the Rangers gave up and sat down in the middle of it all.

"What a mess." Tommy muttered as he threw a rock in anger. "It's been totally wiped off the map." Kim wrapped an arm around him knowing exactly how he was feeling. The gang sat in silence for a few more minutes, looking around at the carnage, when suddenly Zack stood up, his eyes intent on something glowing under a pile of rocks.

"Hey, guys, what's that?"

"It can't be…" Jason muttered.

"Come on, hurry!" Billy cried as he and the others ran forward and began shifting the rocks, eventually uncovering a large crystal.

"It's all here." Tommy murmured as he picked it up and held it high, allowing himself a small smile as it glowed, a sliver of hope returning. "The Zeo Crystal, it's intact."

"I can't believe it survived the blast." Zack said, though he too was feeling a tiny big of hope return.

"Tommy, you better not hold it." Billy said. "There's no telling what effect the implosion had on it." Unable to ever disagree with his blue friend, Tommy quickly but gently set the Zeo Crystal down on the ground. Immediately, it began to glow, bolts of energy flying out of it and cutting a circle in the ground around the Rangers. The piece of ground they were on began to fall, sending the Rangers hurtling downwards into an underground bunker.

"Is everyone alright?" Jason asked as he pushed a few boxes off of Trini.

"Yeah, I think so." Billy muttered, though he rubbed his arm from where he had landed.

"Where are we?" Kim muttered, wiping dust off her shirt.

"This looks like the lower chamber in the Command Centre." Billy said after having a look around.

"Now what?" Zack asked. A loud noise answered him, and although they had a bad feeling about all this, the Rangers really didn't have any choice but to follow it. The further they traveled along the corridor, the clearer the sound becomes, turning into a very familiar voice.

"Guys, that sounds like Alpha!" said Billy, unable to believe what he was hearing. One look at his friends determined that he wasn't the only one.

"Aye yai yai yai yai!"

"Now that really sounds like Alpha!" Tommy exclaimed as a smile graced all their faces.

"Rangers, step into the vortex!"

"The vortex?" Jason muttered. They moved further along, eventually coming to a door, which opened at their approach, to reveal a swirling green vortex. Jason stepped forward and cautiously held his hand out, sticking through the vortex before pulling it back.

"Well?" Trini asked.

"It kind of feels cool. Didn't hurt at all."

"Rangers, please step through the vortex!" Alpha's voice came again, right from the other side of the vortex. Without hesitating, the six of them stepped through the vortex and entered a room they had never seen before.

"What is this place?" Trini asked.

"The next generation in strategic command outpost." Billy answered. "I've seen plans for this in the mainframe, but I had no idea it really existed." Footfalls from behind them drew their attention and the revelation of the owner brought fresh tears to their eyes.

"Hello, Rangers." Said Alpha. "Welcome home."

"ALPHA!" they cried in unison, rushing forwards and engulfing the robot in a hug.

"We thought you were gone forever." Kim muttered.

"Oh, it takes more than a little implosion to keep me down." He joked, trying to bring their smiles back, before getting down to business. "You'll be please to know that all systems are online."

"Alpha, how did you…I mean, where did this place come from?" Jason asked.

"The Power Chamber has always been here. We knew there could come a time when the Command Centre would become vulnerable to an attack."

"Alpha…what about Zordon?" Tommy asked.

"Oh! I am so sorry, Power Rangers. I should have told you right away. Zordon is just fine!" The Rangers felt a huge relief wash over them, many of them clinging to each other or the control panels, needing some stability, their relief was that great. On the far wall, a tube lit up and the Rangers turned in time to see their mentor and father figure appear.

"ZORDON!" Kim's cry came out loudest of them all as once again, unbidden tears flowed down their faces. With the frequency of which this was happening the Rangers wondered if it would simply be easier to continue crying until they physically couldn't anymore.

"WELCOME RANGERS. I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE SAFE. HOW DO YOU LIKE OUR LITTLE SURPRISE?"

"Don't you _ever_ scare us like that again!" Kim growled, earning looks of shock from her friends. She had growled threats at them numerous times, but never at Zordon.

"I AM SORRY." He replied, and by the tone of his voice he truly was sorry, though the others also detected caution as Kimberly continued to glare at him. "IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO FRIGHTEN YOU. I APOLOGISE FOR KEEPING THE POWER CHAMBER FROM YOU, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO WORRY YOU UNECESSARILY, AND WHEN IT BECAME NECESSARY, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME."

Kim held her glare for another moment before conceding.

"The Power Chamber's awesome." She said, giving the answer Zordon had really been looking for.

"I think we're just glad to see that you both are alright." Billy said to which the others nodded vigorously. Although it would be sad, they could handle losing the Command Centre, Zordon and Alpha, however, they could not.

"NOW, RANGERS, TO BUSINESS."

"We can't let Rita and Zedd get away with this." Jason muttered.

"UNFORTUNATELY, RITA AND ZEDD ARE NO LONGER A THREAT."

"And that's bad…?" Zack questioned.

"YOU MUST LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU. A DARK AND EVIL FORCE HAS JUST DESCENDED UPON OUR GALAXY."

"And it's not Rita and Zedd." Zack said, no longer a question.

"I WISH IT WERE THAT SIMPLE. I AM AFRAID THIS NEW THREAT IS FAR MORE TREACHEROUS THEN RITA AND LORD ZEDD COULD EVER HAVE HOPED TO BE. RANGERS, PREPARE YOURSELVES TO FACE THE EVIL MACHINE EMPIRE. IT IS THE ONE FORCE THAT COULD PROVE TO BE UNSTOPPABLE." The Rangers shared a look of impending doom, silently asking themselves and each other why things always had to get ten times worse and could never get better.

"Machine Empire?" Jason asked.

"I don't get it, who are they?"

"Where'd they come from?"

"How come we've never heard about them before?"

"What can we do?"

"How do we defeat them?"

"_Can_ we defeat them?"

"SLOW DOWN, RANGERS."

"Sorry, Zordon." Billy said. "There's just so much we need to know."

"IN TIME I WILL TRY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. BUT BEWARE, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CAPABILITES OF THE MACHINE KING. THESE NEXT FEW DAYS MAY BE THE MOST PERILOUS YOU HAVE FACED SINCE YOU BECAME POWER RANGERS." Tommy shook his head in disagreement.

"Naw, I have a feeling Ivan Ooze will win that contest every time."

"After all the destruction he caused, losing our powers, nearly losing you and Kira, after finding out our daughter will be the most powerful person in the universe and have a _very_ large target on her head…I say bring it on." Kim was quick to agree with Tommy. No one could, fight them on that one, it would take a very, _very_ powerful enemy to cause all the damage, physically, mentally, and emotionally, that Ooze had.

"EITHER WAY, IT SHALL CERTAINLY BE A TOUGH BATTLE."

"Like Kim said, bring it." Trini said, her fear and sorrow having faded away into hard determination and anger, feelings mirrored by her friends.

"THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH THE LATEST THREAT TO OUR GALAXY." A screen lit up off to the side to reveal a very ugly robot. "THIS IS KING MONDO, THE MACHINE KING, SUPREME RULER OF THE EVIL MACHINE EMPIRE, AND HIS WIFE, QUEEN MACHINA. THEY HAVE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE UNITED ALLIANCE OF EVIL AND HAVE SET OUT TO INVADE OUR GALAXY."

"There's a United Alliance of Evil?" Zack deadpanned. "You'll have to explain that one when we've got time."

"AND SO I SHALL." Once again the screen lit up, showing a smaller, though no less ugly, robot, built in similar fashion to Mondo. "THIS IS YOUNG PRINCE SPROCKET, HEIR APPARENT AND HIS FATHER'S EAGER STUDENT. AND THESE ARE KLANK AND ORBUS, THE FOOTMEN OF THE THRONE. TOGETHER THEY MAKE UP THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MACHINE EMPIRE. THEY WILL STOP AT NOTHING UNTIL THEY CONTROL THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE."  
"I can't believe Rita and Zedd are gonna put up with this." Tommy commented.

"The Machine Empire is so powerful that even Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa have retreated fearing for their very existence." Alpha supplied.

"This must be really bad for those two to run." Kim muttered, though she still stood by her earlier statement that Ooze would win out.

"YOUR CONCERN IS WELL FOUNDED, RANGERS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MACHINE EMPIRE IS ARRIVING WELL EQUIPPED WITH VERY EFFICIENT FIGHTING MACHINES."

"What are those things?" Jason asked when the screen changed to a large group of identical robots.

"THEY ARE CALLED COGS. THEY ARE KING MONDO'S HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED MECHANIZED FIGHTING ROBOTS. THEY HAVE NO FEAR AND MUST BE COMPLETELY DISMANTLED TO BE DEFEATED."

"This doesn't look good." Jason said, wishing for the return of Putties or Tengas.

"I don't get it, Zordon." Trini said. "I mean what do they want with us? Rita and Zedd had a grudge to settle, but the Machine Empire?"

"OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS THE FINAL LINK IN A CHAIN OF GALAXIES ALREADY CONCURED BY THIS EVIL EMPIRE."

"So once they concur us, they'll have it all." Billy concluded. "No one will exist that can defeat them."

" THAT IS CORRECT, BILLY. QUITE LITERALLY, THE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSE RESTS IN YOUR HANDS."

"So no pressure, guys." Zack muttered. No one laughed, all of them feeling the weight of this new challenge, and none of them liking it one bit; though ultimately, they knew there was nothing else they could, or would, do but fight.

"Well, let's suit up guys. No time like the present." Jason said, falling into leader mode.

"UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR OLD POWERS WILL BE NO MATCH FOR THE MACHINE EMPIRE." Said Zordon.

"We're Ninjetti, Zordon." Tommy said. "Aren't they, _we_, supposed to be the strongest warriors in the universe?"

"YES. HOWEVER, THE NINJETTI HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS MACHINES BEFORE AS NONE HAVE BECOME NINJETTI IN MILLIONS OF YEARS. EVEN IN WORLDS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY WE ARE LOOKING AT DID NOT EXIST MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. AS THESE MONSTERS ARE MACHINES, THEY DO NOT HAVE BIOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS AND THEIR STRENGTH FAR SURPASSES ANY LIVING BEING."

"So we need new powers. But where are we going to get them?" Kim asked.

"YOUR RECENTLY COMPLETED QUEST PROVIDED US WITH THE MASSIVE POWER OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL. RANGERS, BEHOLD THE FULLY ENERGIZED ZEO CRYSTAL." The crystal appeared momentarily, but that moment was enough for the Rangers to feel its power.

"Zordon, before you continue, there's something I want to say." Billy said, a tone of sadness in his voice.

"YES BILLY. I BELIEVE I KNOW WHAT IT IS." The others felt they did too, but decided to allow Billy to speak his mind.

"As we all know, the Zeo Crystal has five sub-divisions. Which means there's only enough power for five Rangers."

"Don't worry, Billy, we'll figure something out." Jason promised.

"I think there's more to consider than that. Working from the Command Centre while you went in search of the crystals made me realize something; that I can be just as useful here, giving you support from this end, rather then in battle. What I'm trying to say is that you five should take The Power." Although none of them liked the fact that their team would be broken up, they could not dispute the fact that Billy was right.

"Billy, you sure you want to do this?" Tommy asked.

"This is going to be the best thing for everybody." He promised.

"IT IS NOT EASY TO SEE ONE OF YOU GIVE UP YOUR POWERS. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE I BELIEVE YOU MAY PROVE YOURSELF TO BE EVEN MORE VALUABLE TO US BASED IN OUR NEW POWER CHAMBER."

"You've done so much for us, Billy." Kim said, going over and giving him a hug. "We'll miss you in battle. But we're counting on you and your new toys." Any doubt Billy felt vanished upon hearing Kim's words, as always, she knew exactly what to say.

"KIMBERLY IS RIGHT. DURING OUR RECENT TIME OF UPHEAVAL, YOU ASSUMED THE ROLE OF LEADER WITHOUT QUESTION. THANKS TO YOU, THE RANGERS WERE ABLE TO BRING THE ZEO SHARDS SAFELY HOME."

"I'm just glad I could help, Zordon. And if there is ever a need, I've still got the Ninjetti Wolf power."

"ABSOLUTELY, BILLY."

"We're behind you all the way." Tommy said, coming up and clasping hands with him, the others close behind. Suddenly, the alarms blared, sounding slightly different, though no less urgent then the old ones.

"What is it?"

"OUR SENSORS HAVE DETECTED A BREACH IN THE OUTER ATMOSPHERE SECURITY GRID. APPARENTLY, KING MONDO IS WASTING NO TIME. HE HAS SENT HIS QUADRA FIGHTERS TO TEST THE EARTH'S DEFENCE SYSTEMS."

"We don't have much time." Billy said, immediately going over to the control panels and helping Alpha in any way he could. A few minutes later, five sets of two Morphers appeared.

"POWER RANGERS, A NEW DAY IS UPON US AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO ACCEPT THE POWERS OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL. THESE ARE YOUR ZEONIZERS, THEY WILL ALLOW YOU MORPH AND TO CALL ON YOUR NEW ZEO POWERS. VALUE THEM AND PROTECT THEM AS YOU DO YOUR MORPHERS AND POWER COINS."

"Alright, here goes." Billy said and punched some controls. "Good luck guys."

"RANGERS, YOUR COURAGE AND SACRIFICE HAVE BROUGHT US THE ZEO CRYSTAL. IT WILL BESTOW UPON YOU POWERS BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION." The Crystal appeared before them before splitting into five brightly coloured Shards. "KIMBERLY, FROM THIS MOMENT ON YOU WILL BE KNOWN AS ZEO RANGER I – PINK." Kim felt the Shard's power wash over her before leaving her in her new morphed state. "TRINI, YOU WILL BE KNOWN AS ZEO RANGER II – YELLOW. THE SHARDS THE REST OF YOU HAVE RETRIEVED HAVE GIVEN YOU NEW COLOURS. JASON, YOU ARE NOW ZEO RANGER III – BLUE. ZACK, THE POWER OF ZEO RANGER IV – GREEN BELONGS TO YOU. AND FINALLY TOMMY, YOU WILL ASSUME THE IDENTITY OF ZEO RANGER V – RED. WITH THESE NEW COLOURS COMES NEW RESPONSIBILITIES. AS RED RANGER, TOMMY, YOU ARE NOW THE LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS." As the Rangers took off their helmets, Tommy looked to Jason, wondering what he thought of losing his leader spot. Jason, who had known Tommy would look to him, shot him a smile and quipped,

"I'll get him whipped into shape. Class starts at 8 every Saturday until I deem you worthy, be prepared for pop quizzes."

"Yeah right." Tommy snorted. "As if you'd ever be up before noon on a Saturday." The laughter that ensued released some tension, something all of them needed.

"RANGERS, THE POWER OF THE ZEO CRYSTAL NOW RESIDES WITHIN YOU. HOW DO YOU FEEL?"

"Aw man, I feel totally energized." Tommy said, looking at the star shaped visor on his helmet. The others quickly agreed. The Zeo Crystal had given them the power boost they needed to take on the Machine Empire, but none of them could deny it would take awhile for them to get used to it. The Zeo powers were entirely different from their Ninjetti powers, and although it wasn't a bad different, their Ninjetti powers had always felt right and perfect for them, probably because their powers came from their Animal Spirits, and subsequently from themselves, instead of an external power source.

"YOU WILL HAVE MANY NEW TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL, WHICH WILL ALL BE REVEALED IN TIME. I AM VERY PROUD OF ALL OF YOU. AS POWER RANGERS, YOU HAVE SERVED YOUR PLANET WELL. WHILE THE NINJETTI POWERS ARE NO LONGER A VIABLE OPTION AGAINST THE MACHINE EMPIRE, THEY WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE TO YOU SHOULD YOU NEED THEM." Zordon's gaze lingered behind them and the Rangers turned to see cases against the wall in which their old suits and weapons were encased; waiting until the day they would be needed again.

"WITH THIS NEW POWER, A NEW FIGHTING FORCE HAS EMERGED. YOU ARE NOW THE POWER RANGERS ZEO, THE NEXT LEVEL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST EVIL." Once again, the alarms blared, though this time much louder, signalling Mondo had exhausted his test of Earth's defences and had launched his attack.

"Alright guys, this is the first test of your new powers." Said Billy from his place at the control panel. "Good luck."

"Meet you at the Youth Centre for smoothies after." Kim called as the Rangers fell in line, earning a smile from Billy. With Tommy now at the helm, the Rangers summoned their new powers for the first time.

"Power Rangers Zeo!"

"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"

"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"

Teleporting to a construction site, the Rangers were met with a group of Cogs, and immediately engaged them in battle. The first thing they noticed was that Zordon had been right, as he usually was. These Cogs hit ten times harder than Putties and Tengas, but it seems their new suits were built to withstand it. Within minutes, the Rangers sent the Cogs running, relishing in their first victory, but not allowing themselves to feel over confident; these had just been foot soldiers after all, and King Mondo wouldn't underestimate them again. With their first battle against the Machine Empire under their belts, the Rangers teleported to the Youth Centre, where Billy was already waiting with Kira and smoothies. The former Blue Ranger obediently handed the little girl over to her parents who seemed more excited to see her than she was to see them. Their challenges to retrieve the Zeo Shards, Kim's especially, was still fresh in their minds and the two couldn't be more thankful that they had their daughter with them, with no signs that any drastic changes would take place anytime soon; if they were lucky.

"I never thought I'd miss Tengas." Jason muttered as he iced a nasty bruise. The suits stopped any true, permanent damage, but hits that hard would still leave marks. "Those Cogs are brutal."

"We'll get used to it." Trini assured her boyfriend as she fussed over him. "We always do." The Rangers had barely sat down on the back patio when Kat rushed in, looked around and then ran over upon spotting them. She tried to not look frantic, but didn't really succeed, though thankfully no one was paying her much attention.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked in a hushed voice. "It was all over the news, monsters that don't look like Rita and Zedd's creations…and new Power Rangers." It took a moment for Kat to truly calm down enough to be able to listen to their story, though when they were finished, all signs of life had apparently left her. If she didn't blink, they could have assumed she had frozen over or something.

"It never ends, does it?" She asked, finally finding her voice.

"Nope." Zack answered simply, taking a fry from the plate Ernie had delivered, though they had not ordered.

"I want to help." Kat said, looking between them all. "I caused all that damage and then I just sit back and watch-"

"That wasn't your fault, Kat." Billy said, jumping to her defense. "You were under a spell, a powerful one. You didn't know what you were doing."

"Still…please let me help." She said to Billy, grabbing his hand and staring him in the eyes; imploring him. "I understand quite a bit and you can teach me the rest. At least let me help you, Billy, an extra pair of hands and eyes could never hurt. Please." After a moment Billy nodded, earning him a bright smile and a hug, which he was only too happy to reciprocate.

* * *

**A/N - I couldn't leave you hanging with the Command Centre exploding for too long, that would be cruel. **

**Tommy is only now officially the leader instead of way back in 'White Light.' Though I like Tommy as leader, I didn't think Jason should have been displaced, so I kind of had them be co-leaders, though Jason still officially held the title. Don't know if that came across, I know I never addressed it before, but since no one asked or commented on it I'm guessing I did an ok job with it. Just felt like bringing it up now that things have officially changed. **

**The topic of the Peace Conference will return next chapter, and you will get a time-scale of when Jason, Trini and Zack are leaving. I did promise they were leaving eventually and that Aisha, Rocky and Adam would become Rangers. On that note, every person who was a Ranger in the show will be a Ranger in my fic, just maybe not the same Ranger, and characters who haven't been introduced yet like Tanya, and the Aquitar Rangers have not been forgotten, don't worry!**

**Review please!**


	28. The Power Transfer

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

* * *

**Chapter 28 – The Power Transfer**

* * *

"You're _absolutely sure_ you're ok with me being leader?" Tommy asked yet again as they entered the Youth Centre a few days later. Jason stopped in his tracks and shot his friend a dirty look.

"Now I know how Kim felt when I wouldn't stop badgering her about her unborn baby's gender." He muttered as he continued on in and took a seat next to Trini. "Yes, Tommy, I'm fine with it." Sharing a look with Trini and Zack he continued. "It might actually be a good thing. We've decided to seriously consider going to the Peace Conference." The others shared a look of slight confusion.

" 'Seriously consider?' " Kim asked. "Don't you mean you've decided to go?"

"If everything works out, yes." Zack supplied.

"We're not just gonna dump The Power on some unsuspecting people who have no idea what they're getting into, especially with the arrival of the Machine Empire." Trini explained.

"So what are you going to do?" Kat asked.

"We've talked to Zordon about it, and we know who we want to replace us." Said Jason.

"Who?" Tommy asked.

"Can't you guess?" Zack said as he nodded to the entrance where three of their friends had just walked in. "He's given us permission to tell them."

"Prepare them for what's to come." Billy surmised. Jason nodded.

"Hey guys!" Adam said as he Aisha and Rocky moved to take a seat with their friends.

"Don't sit down. We need to talk." Jason said as he and the others stood up.

"Are we breaking up?" Rocky joked as he followed the others out to the lockers, which were thankfully abandoned right now.

"Very funny Rocky." Said Aisha. "What do we need to talk about?" In response, Jason brought his communicator to his lips.

"Alpha, we're standing by with Aisha, Rocky and Adam for teleportation."

"Teleportation?" Adam asked as all three sent Jason a weird and incredulous look. The new Blue Ranger merely smiled as Alpha teleported the three of them to the Power Chamber. The others activated their teleportation devices the moment the others were gone, arriving at the Power Chamber a mere second afterwards, just in time to see the looks of absolute shock on their friends' faces.

"What the hell?" Rocky muttered. "Where are we?"

"This is the Power Chamber." Jason said, stepping forwards.

"The Power Chamber?" Aisha asked as the three of them looked around. A gasp escaped her lips when her eyes alit on six well-known suits that lined the wall. Her gasp drew the attention of Rocky and Adam, who's mouths fell open upon seeing the suits of the Power Rangers.

"You guys…a-are you…?" Adam stuttered. The Rangers merely smiled, but allowed Zordon, who had just appeared in his energy tube, answer.

"GREETINGS FRIENDS." Their heads whipped around and mouths fell open once again upon seeing a floating head in a tube. "I AM ZORDON OF ELTAR. WELCOME TO THE COMMAND CENTRE OF THE POWER RANGERS."

"You guys really are the Power Rangers?!" Rocky cried. Tommy nodded his head as they all smiled, amused by their friends' reactions, though they knew it must be a shock.

"YES, YOUR FRIENDS ARE INDEED THE POWER RANGERS." Zordon confirmed. "I AM CERTAIN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WHICH YOUR FRIENDS WILL ANSWER TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY LATER. HOWEVER, THERE IS A REASON YOU WERE BROUGHT HERE. JASON, TRINI AND ZACK ARE CONSIDERING DEPARTING THE POWER TEAM TO ATTEND THE PEACE CONFERENCE. TO DO THIS, CANDIDATES MUST BE SELECTED TO REPLACE THEM AS POWER RANGERS."

"We want you three to take our place as Power Rangers." Trini said. If the Rangers thought their friends were shocked before, it was nothing to how they appeared now.

"You want _us_ to be _Power Rangers_?" Aisha muttered a few minutes later. Trini nodded. "But, why? I mean we can't possibly have what it takes to be Power Rangers."

"Of course you do." Zack said.

"ZACK IS RIGHT. YOUR SKILLS AS CHAMPION NINJAS AS WELL AS YOUR COURAGE AND SENSE OF HONOUR WILL SERVE YOU WELL AS POWER RANGERS."

"But we're not just gonna throw you into it or anything." Jason assured them. "We don't have to give the Peace Conference officials an answer as to whether or not we're coming for another two weeks, right when the school year ends. During that time we want you guys to observe, get a sense of what being a Ranger really means, and if it's something you want."

"You don't have to accept The Power." Trini added. "It's a lot to take on, and if you don't want to do it then don't. Really, please don't. There would be nothing worse for you, the Power Rangers, and the Earth if you accepted The Power when you didn't really want to."

"What will happen if we don't?" Adam asked. "Who will take The Power when you leave? Or will you leave?" Sharing a look, Trini, Jason and Zack shrugged as one.

"We don't know." Zack admitted. "We'd look for other people to take it. And if we couldn't find anyone, we wouldn't go."

"This is something we want to do, but it's not something we'd abandon the Earth for. Nor would we just dump The Power on anyone."

"It's a big decision." Jason said, clapping Rocky on the shoulder. "Don't make it lightly."

**-T/K-**

For the next couple days, Aisha, Rocky and Adam became hyper aware of everything to do with the Power Rangers. They paid more attention to the news reports, watching each battle and the destruction that followed; they observed their friends and the interruptions to their lives every time their communicators went off. Now that they knew what to look for, it wasn't hard to see the behaviour that marked them as Rangers. They also discovered that Ernie and Bulk and Skull knew about the secret, and were always there helping out in anyway that they could, most notably in babysitting Kira. As the first week drew to a close, they began asking questions, having come out of their pensive, observant stage. The Rangers answered everything they asked, thankful that the things they wouldn't divulge were not things you'd ask about, or would even think to ask about.

"Can we do a ride along?" Rocky asked as they gang walked to the Youth Centre. "See what a battle is really like?"

"No." Tommy said without hesitation. "It's too dangerous. You're still civilians, you don't have The Power and wouldn't stand a chance against one of those monsters. We can't risk your lives like that."

"So there's really a difference between us and you guys?" asked Adam. "Power wise I mean."

"Besides the obvious of us having the suits, yes, there is." Jason said. "The Power gives us enhanced abilities even out of our morphed state. We're stronger, faster, our senses are heightened, and we have accelerated healing. All of that allows us to match our enemies, for without it we wouldn't stand a chance either."

"They're that powerful?" Adam asked, not liking that bit of information.

"Put it this way," Zack said. "The only weapon non-Power Rangers have that could destroy one of those monsters is a nuclear missile. Guns don't stand a chance, gas or radiation, or anything else created with humans in mind won't work against them. Regular bombs might, _maybe_, but they'd have to be pretty big bombs and that's _if_ they ever actually hit the monsters, who can just disappear at will. We're talking bombs the size of which wouldn't just destroy the monster, but cause a significant amount of destruction to the surrounding area. Enough that eventually humanity would be wiped out if a bomb that size was used every time a monster showed up."

"They have an unlimited supply of monsters." Added Trini. "Until we destroy the big boss, more monsters will just keep coming. And they're not stupid. If bombs were used every time, they'd quickly see that they caused more destruction than they did good and they'd just send the monsters around the world until humans were extinct. Let us destroy our planet for them."

"Especially since technology hasn't advanced enough for humans to take the fight to them on the Moon." Kim continued. "They can get up there, they just can't wage a war up there. Which means those monsters would never stop coming."

"We see your point." Aisha said.

"We can't take you into battle." Tommy reiterated. "But if you're ready to see the inner workings of a battle, you can go to the Power Chamber with Billy and Kat and watch from there."

"That would indeed be the sensible next move." Billy agreed. "I can also explain exactly how the power inhibitor works, along with the significance of the transport core, energy shield, and-"

"And I will be there to translate." Kat interrupted, clapping a hand over Billy's mouth to stop him from confusing their friends even more. "Between us we'll give you guys a crash course on what all the buttons on the control panels do." Their faces cleared up of confusion, and Kat smiled, shooting an amused look to Billy. In a short amount of time, Kat had become another translator for Billy speech.

"I think we'd like that." Said Aisha. The trio got their chance the following afternoon when an earthquake shook up the city.

"This is no earthquake." Tommy muttered when the tremors stopped, only to start up again less than a minute later, a pattern that continued two or three times.

"We should get to the Power Chamber." Jason agreed. "You guys coming?" he shot at Aisha, Rocky and Adam. The trio nodded and all ten friends, along with Kira, went off to the lockers and teleported to the Power Chamber.

"Zordon, what's going on?" Tommy asked when the beams of light had disappeared. The little girl in his arms was, for once, not wailing after having teleported, though she wasn't calm either; it seemed that she was finally getting used to the sensation.

"KING MONDO HAS SENT DOWN THE DIGSTER MONSTER TO TRY AND DIG DOWN TO A POCKET OF MOLTEN LAVA UNDERNEATH ANGEL GROVE WITH THE HOPES THAT IT WILL BURST FORTH AND COVER THE CITY."

"Well, that's not good." Zack muttered.

"We have to stop him before he reaches the lava." Said Jason. "Even if he doesn't cause it to come up, an open hole to a lava pit would not be good." The others nodded their agreement.

"I have tracked the monster's location to a cave outside Angel Grove." Said Billy as he and Kat looked things over on the computer.

"Alright, we'll stop him." Tommy said as he handed Kira over to Rocky before stepping back into formation.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"

"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"

The Rangers teleported out and Aisha, Rocky and Adam joined Billy and Kat at the computer.

"This system here tracks their whereabouts." Billy said, getting right into it and pointing to a small screen that looked like a submarine's radar with five dots on it without even looking up. Billy and Alpha, along with some help from Kat, continued to explain things as they went, both what the controls they were punching in did, and also about the tactics the Rangers were using and why they were using them. Aisha, Rocky, and Adam asked questions whenever they felt the need, and during the battle received their first heart stopping, panic driven moment when Digster hit the Rangers hard and escaped into the cave; the tremors starting up once more.

"They failed?!" Rocky moaned as he held Kira close, the continuous shaking beginning to upset her.

"Not at all." Billy assured them, having lived through this scenario many times before. "We don't lose that easily. Earth would have fallen long ago if we did." They watched as the Rangers disappeared into the cave, the tremors stopping not a few minutes later. Suddenly, a large explosion came from the inside of the cave, knocking both Ranger and monster alike outside.

"Zordon!" Tommy called frantically. "Digster unleashed the lava!"

"I think we have bigger problems." Zack countered as Klank appeared and threw Orbus to Digster who then grew big.

"We need Zeo Zord power, now!" the Rangers called without any hesitation, the lava all but forgotten.

"What are they doing?!" Aisha cried. "That lava is headed right towards Angel Grove!"

"YES." Zordon agreed. "BUT DIGSTER WILL ARRIVE THERE BEFORE THE LAVA, WHICH IS CURRENTLY SLOW MOVING. THEY MUST STOP HIM BEFORE HE REACHES THE CITY." The three still looked sceptical so he elaborated. "THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A POWER RANGER. KNOWING WHICH CRISIS, OF WHICH THERE MAY BE TWO, THREE, OR MORE, IS THE MOST PRESSING. OCCASIONALLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPLIT UP AND HANDLE THEM ALL AT ONCE, BUT MORE OFTEN ALL OF YOU WILL BE NEEDED AND SO YOU MUST DECIDE." Although they knew that being a Ranger was no easy feat, the trio were beginning to see there was much more to it then simply engaging the monsters in physical combat. Eventually, the Rangers destroyed Digster, dismantling him in a giant ball of fire.

"Guys, use the Megazord to collapse the cave." Billy instructed. Doing as they were told, the Rangers used the battle helmets to cause a cave in.

"What about the lava that's already out?" Jason asked.

"It should cool and solidify by itself. Now that the hole is plugged, the lava should stop flowing and begin to solidify."

"We'll monitor it from here to ensure is does just that." Alpha added.

"Alright, we're coming in." Said Tommy and seconds later five beams of light signalled their arrival. Kim and Tommy immediately went over and took Kira from Rocky, holding her close, and were greeted by a happy "Ma! Da!"

"So what'd you think?" Trini asked the slightly stunned trio.

"I think it's a lot to take in." Adam admitted. "There's so much going on, so much that could go wrong."

"How do you do it?" Aisha asked. "How do you go into battle everyday and do all that you do?"

"You get used to it." Kim said. "It's hard at first and we made our fair share of mistakes, had a lot of close calls. But we learned. And most importantly, we learned things about ourselves, about how we could never abandon Earth, how we don't have it in us not to help if there's something we can do. That's why we go out there everyday." No one said a word more, some allowing things to sink in, while others tried to make some sense of it, and some sense of the thoughts racing through their minds.

**-T/K-**

The following week went by in similar fashion. Aisha, Rocky and Adam continued to get a more in-depth look at what being a Ranger means. Near the end of the week, the three of them asked to speak to everyone at the Power Chamber, having come to a decision.

"We'll do it." Rocky said once everyone was gathered. "We'd be happy to take over from you guys."

"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF YOUR DECISION?" Zordon asked, needing to be sure. Adam nodded.

"You were right, it's not a easy decision, it's a lot to take on. And we're glad you insisted on giving us time to see what it's really like. We probably would have said yes that day and have gone into it knowing absolutely nothing, but we're glad we got this chance. And yeah, we're sure of our decision." Jason stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder.

"We couldn't be leaving The Power in better hands." He then turned to their mentor and friend. "So how do we do this Zordon? When do we do this?"

"AS THE ZEO POWERS ARE NOT TIED TO YOUR LIFE FORCE, AS YOUR NINJETTI POWERS WERE, THE POWER TRANSFER SHOULD BE RELATIVELY SIMPLE. WE-" the alarms blared throughout the Power Chamber, cutting him off. Everyone turned to face the screen and saw a monster, one with no distinctive features, leading a group of Cogs on an attack at the park.

"The power transfer will have to wait." Tommy said. "Think you're up for one last battle?"

"You know it!" said Zack.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"

"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"

The battle was short and bittersweet. Everyone was sad to see their friends, their family, go, but at the same time were incredibly proud and happy for them. Returning to the Power Chamber, the Rangers powered down. Kim and Tommy stood off to the side with Billy, Kat and Alpha while the other three approached their replacements. Having had Zordon tell them that the process would be simple, they assumed that simply transferring the Morphers would work. Knowing Zordon would stop them if they were wrong, they removed their Zeonizers and held them out to Aisha, Rocky and Adam, who took them with a sense of reverence.

"Rocky, you will take over the mantle of Zeo Ranger III-Blue."

"Aisha, you will become Zeo Ranger II-Yellow."

"Adam, the powers of Zeo Ranger IV-Green are now yours."

Once they placed the Zeonizers on their wrists, yellow, blue and green energy ran over them, the power of the Zeo Shards accepting them. When the energy disappeared, the three were left with a feeling of power and strength surging through them.

"Woah!" they said, to which the others smiled, knowing all too well that feeling.

"You get used to it." Trini assured them.

"IT IS DONE." Came Zordon's voice, causing everyone to turn towards him. "AISHA, ROCKY, ADAM, WELCOME TO THE POWER TEAM. I KNOW YOU WILL HANDLE THE POWER WITH INTELLEGENCE AND RESPECT. NOW THAT YOU ARE POWER RANGERS, THERE ARE THREE RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW OR RISK LOSING THE PROTECTION OF THE POWER: FIST, NEVER ESCALATE A BATTLE UNLESS YOUR ENEMIES FORCE YOU, SECOND, NEVER USE THE POWER FOR PERSONAL GAIN, AND THIRD, NEVER REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY AS RANGERS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY." The three of them nodded, taking in what he said with absolute seriousness.

"HOWEVER, CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ALLOW FOR THAT THIRD RULE TO BE BENT SLIGHTLY. THE RANGERS' PARENTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR IDENTITIES. IT WAS REVEALED SOME MONTHS AGO WHEN THEIR PARENTS' LIVES WERE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER. SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE FORMED THEIR OWN SUPPORT GROUP, I AM TOLD, TO HELP EACH OTHER DEAL WITH THE OVERWHELMING FEAR OF THEIR CHILDREN BEING POWER RANGERS. ALTHOUGH REVEALED UNDER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS NOT FAIR THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO MUST GO BEHIND YOUR PARENTS' BACKS. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THE OTHER PARENTS WILL INSIST ON TELLING YOURS. AS SUCH, I LEAVE THE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO TELL THEM UP TO YOU. IF YOU WISH TO, AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF KEEPING THIS SECRET, YOU MAY TELL THEM." Rocky, Adam and Aisha shared a look and cringed in unison.

"I think we'll keep it to ourselves for right now." Aisha said. "Get a little more acquainted with all this before we add our parents into the mix." Zordon nodded his acceptance before he turned to face the departing Rangers.

"TRINI, JASON, ZACK, YOU HAVE SERVED EARTH ADMIRABLY AND IT IS DO TO YOUR EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR. YOUR CHOICE TO LEAVE TO PURSUE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IS ONE I AM CERTAIN WE ALL AGREE ON, AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. THOUGH YOUR TIME AS ACTIVE RANGERS HAS COME TO AN END, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE POWER WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU; ONCE A RANGER, ALWAYS A RANGER. AND SHOULD YOU EVER DECIDE TO RETURN, YOU SHALL ALWAYS BE WELCOME HERE; THIS IS YOUR HOME."

"Please, keep your communicators." Alpha spoke up, coming to stand beside them. "Use them should you ever be in need. And don't forget to check in every once in awhile." Emotion laced Alpha's voice box and the Rangers got the impression that he'd be crying if he could.

"Oh, Alpha!" Trini cried, reaching over and pulling the robot into a hug, Jason and Zack joining in. "Of course we will! You and Zordon are family!"

"We told you once, we'll tell you again: you can't get rid of us!" said Zack.

"Besides, even though we gave up our powers today, doesn't mean this is goodbye just yet. We've still gotta finish the school year and then it's two months until we actually leave." Jason added.

"It's not goodbye _ever_ Rex." Kim scolded. "It's 'see you soon', or some such thing."

"Too right she is." Tommy chimed in.

"You'd say that no matter what she said." Jason teased.

"Damn straight!" Tommy quickly agreed. "Agreeing with everything she says has saved me an ass kicking more than once. OW!" he grabbed the back of his head in mock hurt from where Kim had just slapped him.

"You gonna be ok with those two on your own?" Kim asked Trini, a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh I can handle these two." Trini assured her. "You've got your own hands full with Tommy. It's a full time job."

"That it is. I'm just thankful he's the only one. Aisha has Rocky and Adam, and Billy's too mature to sink to their level."

"Not to mention he has Kat now, should that ever change." Zack said with a wink. Kat blushed and Billy looked away, though not before he shot a glare at Zack, causing laughter to erupt all around.

"Well…once more for old times sake?" Jason asked putting his hand out in front of him once things had quieted down. The five other Original Rangers were quick to clasp their hands on top of his, before they turned to the others.

"Get in here!" Jason called. Unsure what exactly was going on, Aisha, Rocky and Adam followed their predecessors' lead, and finally Billy pulled Kat in as well; Ranger or not, she was as much a part of this team as anyone else. With big smiles, the six Originals led the newbies in their favourite cheer.

"GO GO POWER RANGERS!"

* * *

**A/N - Told ya they'd become Rangers eventually! I had originally planned to have Jason, Zack and Trini give up the Zeo powers from the very beginning and never be the Zeo Rangers at all, but with the Command Centre exploding and the immediate need for the Zeo Rangers it didn't work out that way. There's one more chapter with the three before they head off for the Peace Conference, but it is by no means that last time we'll see them. They're too integrated into the story and I love them too much, to have them disappear completely. **

**Review please!**


	29. Fond Farewells

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers._

* * *

**Chapter 29 – Fond Farewells**

* * *

The final week of the school year went by in a flash, even though the Rangers had final exams to contend with. When the final bell rang on the last day the entire school rejoiced and the Rangers headed to the Youth Centre to celebrate.

"We're free baby!" Zack cried doing a little dance. "Three years down and summer here we come!"

"Easy there Zack." Kim said as they claimed their favourite table.

"I can't help it! I'm just so psyched for the summer!" Zack's giddiness did not abate and so Kim did the only thing she could to get him to settle down, she plopped Kira down in her uncle Zack's lap.

"Unc Zack!" she cried with a big smile. At nearly two years old, Kira had mastered single syllables, though she was still having trouble putting them together. Though as this had been a trend from the time she began to talk, no one was worried. The kid was not even two years old and she was talking up a storm in words close enough to their actual words to be understood, even if those words were all monosyllables.

"Hey you!" Zack said back with his own smile, wrapping his arms around his niece. "Well played." He said to Kim for even though his happiness did not disappear, his movements were tampered.

"I'll go get us drinks." Tommy said standing up. Ernie had graciously not scheduled him any shifts this last week wanting him to focus on exams, though Tommy still helped out whenever he needed a break from studying, which worked out well as the Youth Centre was their favourite place to study so there was no commute involved. He started working again tomorrow, but with the end of school the Youth Centre was packed so the least he could do would be to make their own drinks.

"Don't bother, Tommy." Came Ernie's voice from behind him where he was bringing over a tray of drinks. "I told you you're off this week and I meant it. I managed for years without you before you started working here, I think I can manage for a week." Ernie placed their regular smoothies down in front of them, knowing their order by heart, as well as apple juice in a sippy cup, which was kept behind the bar, for Kira. "Relax, enjoy your time off. They're on the house." With that he left the teens alone to tend to other customers.

"Well, cheers guys!" Tommy said, raising his glass, both in celebration of the end of the year, as well as in thanks to Ernie.

"So what did you guys think of your first year at Angel Grove High?" Trini asked. "And your first couple months." She amended for Rocky, Adam and Aisha who had only moved here a couple months ago.

"It was great." Kat said. "Schools are so different here than in Australia, namely the holidays. We get two weeks off every two and a half months or so, and then a month at Christmas for our summer break, the new school year starting in February."

"Right, because Australia's on the southern hemisphere." Said Billy.

"Well we didn't have that much of a change." Aisha said. "Stone Canyon High And Angel Grove High are technically within the same school district. But I think the teacher's here are tougher."

"Especially Ms. Applebee." Rocky grumbled. "She's a great teacher, but her tests are killer."

"She just expects a lot from her students. You get used to it." Jason said.

"You know we've been hearing that a lot lately." Adam quipped, causing his friends to laugh.

"You'll get used to that too." Jason shot back. Adam hung his head in exasperation, but otherwise let it go. The Rangers spent the next couple hours talking about summer plans, the impending leave for the Peace Conference, and just about anything else they could think of. Their conversation was only interrupted by the six note chime of their communicators.

"I guess it's back to work." Rocky said, this being the fifth battle he and Aisha and Adam would fight since becoming Rangers a week ago. They all stood up, save for the three who had recently given up their powers.

"You guys coming?" Tommy asked. The three shook their heads.

"I think we'll sit this one out. If you need us though, call us." Trini said, referring to both the technical help they could give, as well as the Ranger help by way of their Ninjetti powers should things really get out of hand."

"We'll watch her." Zack said motioning Kira who had fallen asleep in his arms. Tommy and Kim nodded their thanks before they, along with Billy and Kat, went to teleport to the Power Chamber. The three staying behind waited a few minutes before going over to the bar and asking Ernie to turn the news on. Sure enough, it showed the Rangers engaging Mondo's latest monster in battle. Seeing all five Rangers in battle near the beach, and the three of them still here, had Ernie confused.

"Aren't you guys…" he let the question drop, not wanting anyone else who had come to watch the news understand his question.

"Oh man, sorry, guess we forgot to tell you with finals and everything. Aisha, Rocky and Adam have taken over. We're going to the Peace Conference." Jason explained.

"I see. Well, congratulations guys, it's a great opportunity."

"Thanks Ernie." They watched the battle enfold, seeing the monster go down then grow big, and ended up explaining things to Bulk and Skull who had arrived in time to see the Rangers call on the Zeo Zords, and were just as confused as Ernie. After the battle, the Rangers returned to the Youth Centre, earning silent congratulations from Ernie, Bulk and Skull. Dinner time came, and Kira's nap ended in a loud hungry cry. Kim and Tommy took their daughter back and brought out the peas, rice and tiny bits of chicken they had packed that morning. The others ordered their own food knowing their parents weren't expecting them home for dinner tonight. Some parents, however, apparently expected their children home after dinner, for Ernie received a call from Jason's mom asking he sent Jason, Trini and Zack home.

"Wonder what she wants?" Jason muttered as he and the others packed up. "We'll see you guys tomorrow." Hopping into their cars, Trini joining Jason, the three drove home. Jason drove to Trini's house first but was surprised to see his parents' car out front sitting in Trini's driveway.

"They must have known you'd drop me off first." Trini said. Parking by the curb, Jason got out with Trini and the two headed into the house, to see four very irate parents.

"Um…you wanted to see us?" Jason asked, still unsure as to what was going on.

"Jason Lee Scott, we understand that we long ago lifted the rules about contacting us the moment a battle was over, but you've now completely forgotten to call us altogether _five times._" Lucy scolded.

"You as well, Trini." Mai added. Jason and Trini groaned, understanding now what was going on, and seeing where they had gone wrong.

"We didn't forget to call you after a battle, we haven't fought in any battles all week." Jason said.

"We saw you today on the news." James said, unimpressed.

"That wasn't us. We gave up our powers a week ago, for the Peace Conference." Trini explained.

"But that's two months away." Chien said, confused.

"Yes, Ba, but wanted to make sure our replacements could handle it before we go. If something happens, it's a lot easier for us to tell the Peace Conference officials we can't make it afterall then it is to come home on short notice."

"So you're no longer Power Rangers?" Her father clarified.

"Not active Rangers." Jason amended. "We'll never really stop being Rangers. But day-to-day battles are over."

"So who are the new Rangers?" Lucy asked.

"Aisha, Rocky, and Adam." They didn't feel the need to keep it from their parents, they'd figure it out pretty fast, and they've already kept the secret this long, they didn't think this would change that.

"Do their parents know?" Trini and Jason shook their heads.

"Not yet. They wanted things to settle down before they considered telling their parents."

"_Consider_ telling them?" Mai asked, not liking the 'consider' part.

"Zordon has said that if they feel their parents can keep the secret, they could tell them, but it's up to them whether they want to or not." Although they didn't like this answer, they knew none of them would do anything about it; at least not yet. They felt their parents had a right to know, but they'd give them a chance before they intervened.

**-T/K-**

The first month of the summer holidays passed by with joyful ease. The Rangers were making the most of their time together before Trini, Jason and Zack left for the Peace Conference.

"I can't believe there's only three weeks left before you leave." Kim moaned, pulling the nearest of the three friends who were leaving into a hug, as she had been prone to do over the last month; this time it was Zack who was subject to her death grip.

"I won't be going anywhere if you hug me to death." Zack grumbled, prying Kim's arms from around his neck.

"I'm just gonna miss you guys so much!"

"We'll miss you too, Ptera." Jason assured her. "But we're not gone forever."

"And we'll write and call all the time, and we'll be home for Christmas." Trini added.

"Besides, we're not going anywhere until after Kira's birthday, which, by the way, is in sixteen days!" Jason said.

"No, really? My daughter's birthday is in sixteen days? I hadn't noticed." Quipped Tommy, who was pushing her stroller as they walked in the park.

"Ignoring Jason's exuberance, what are we going to do to celebrate her birthday?" Billy inquired.

"We were thinking a picnic at the park this year." Tommy said.

"Gives us more escape routes should the Machine Empire decide to crash it like Rita and Zedd did." Mumbled Kim.

"They wouldn't dare do that this year." Trini said confidently.

"Why not?" Kat asked.

"Because then they'd not only have the five Zeo Rangers to contend with but also three very pissed of Originals." Jason said, steel hardening his voice. "They are not ruining her birthday right before we leave." There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Jason was entirely serious. The Machine Empire had better watch out if they even thought of interrupted Kira's birthday. The next sixteen days consisted of planning and intermingled with monster fights. As expected, all the parents, Kat's included, along with Bulk, Skull and Ernie, got involved; even Aisha and Adam's parents accepted an invitation, wanting to get to know their children's friends better, along with their family. Due to last years fiasco, Kim and Tommy had completely forgotten to bring Kira to the Command Centre for Zordon and Alpha and had to belatedly accept their gift of yet another stuffed animal. So this year it was agreed that the Power Chamber would be their first stop.

"Happy birthday Kira!" Alpha cried upon their arrival.

"Alph!" she cried right back reaching out for him, her father dutifully handing her over.

"IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH SHE HAS GROWN IN THE LAST YEAR." Zordon commented, looking down on them.

"I know. It's like time's flying. Soon she's not gonna be my baby anymore." Tears came to Kim's eyes and Tommy wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"We've talked about this, Kim." He said, a hint of condescension in his voice. "Growing up is a part of life, remember?" Kim elbowed him in the ribs but said nothing.

"I MUST ADMIT THAT WATCHING A BABY GROW FROM BIRTH IS NEW TO ME. AS YOU KNOW I HAVE NEVER HAD CHILDREN OF MY OWN, NOR DID I HAVE ANY SIBLINGS OR FRIENDS WITH CHILDREN. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE WOMAN SHE WILL ONE DAY BECOME."

"And no doubt Grandpa Zordon will have tons of stories to tell and advice to give." Said Kim, shooting him a wink, and earning a smile at that title. It meant a lot to him that these humans, who he had practically forced into this fight against evil, viewed him as family. He had dedicated his life to fighting evil, and upon his father's death when he was little more than a child, he had ceased to have family, save for Alpha 5. Everyday since the Rangers were brought into his life, he learned something new from these remarkable humans and was given the opportunity to have a family, though he was relegated to observing and advising for he could not leave his time warp. Even still, he was eternally grateful for it.

"Just no embarrassing stories about mom and dad ok?" Tommy asked with a smirk. "Jason will no doubt be telling enough of those." The three remained at the Power Chamber for just over a half hour watching Kira play with the gift from Alpha and Zordon; a miniature jungle gym set up next to her playpen to keep the now two year old, who was no longer content to just sit in her playpen during battles, entertained. Tommy and Kim acknowledged the sub text that Alpha and Zordon would like to have her around more. Over the last few months the number of times Kira had been left in the care of Bulk and Skull had increased significantly, for they were able to give Kira their full attention and cart her around to keep her entertained, whereas those in the Power Chamber had to concentrate on the battle. Although Tommy and Kim had not consciously tried to do this, they still made it a point to bring Kira over more.

With a final farewell, the three teleported to the park, right behind a bush near the picnic so as not to startle the Hillards, Campbells and Parks. Their arrival was greeted with much cheering and Kira was quickly taken from her parents and passed around. Tommy and Kim smiled at the sight and went to take a seat at the picnic table, knowing they wouldn't be getting their daughter back anytime soon. The day went well, with many joyful squeals from Kira as she opened her presents, ran around and played with her new toys, and shoved cake in her face. Just as the sun was starting to set, everyone agreed it was time to head home, least of all because the birthday girl had fallen sleep about an hour ago. Everything was being packed up and the Rangers were thanking whatever deity was out there that this birthday had gone a lot better than the first one when suddenly the hairs on the back of their necks stood up, their finely tuned radar going off, though Rocky, Adam, and Aisha caught on after the others, not having three years of practice.

"Get your parents out of here." Tommy instructed them, wanting the Hillards, Parks and Campbells out of the way first, for at least they could morph in front of their own parents. "Now!"

"Little late for that." Adam said, nodding behind Tommy to where Sprocket himself led a group of Cogs. Screams rang throughout the group, coming predominantly from the Parks, Hillards and Campbells who were coming face to face with these monsters for the first time. The Rangers did not hesitate in grabbing their parents and shoving them backwards to stand in front of them, Kat helping to herd them together out of the way.

"Déja vu anyone?" Jason asked, his voice a mere growl as he eyed the objects of his anger.

"We can commiserate on that later." Billy said, joining the others and taking his fighting stance.

"Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Kat, it's your call." Kim said, giving them the option of taking their parents and running while they handled the Cogs, or revealing their identities. The three shared a look before coming to a consensus.

"Let's do it." Rocky said. "We were gonna tell them soon anyways."

"What he said." Kat called from behind them. Though as she was not a Ranger she would not have revealed her friends identities, though none of them thought for a minute that Zordon would begrudge the parents of one who had become so integral to behind the scenes operations from knowing.

"Right. You guys ready?" Jason asked.

"You're joining us?" Tommy asked.

"I seem to remember saying the Machine Empire would have three very pissed off Originals to deal with should they interrupt Kira's birthday."

"Four." Billy amended, falling into line behind Jason.

"Well, then I guess _this_ will really be our last battle together." Tommy said with a smirk, enjoying the thought that the Machine Empire didn't stand a chance.

"What are they doing?!" Carissa, Aisha's mom, could be heard saying in the background, but the Rangers ignored it.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason and Tommy called together, each leading their team.

"Black Ranger Power!"

"Blue Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Ranger Power!"

"Red Ranger Power!"

"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"

"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"

Everyone watched in awe at seeing them transform before their eyes. Even for those who had seen it before, it sure was a sight to behold.

"What are you four supposed to me?" Sprocket asked the four Originals, who were in suits he'd never seen before.

"Your worst nightmare." Jason answered before immediately launching on the attack. True to his word, Jason was pissed and fought accordingly. Had it been him alone who was fighting, these Cogs would not have stood a chance. As it was, with nine pissed off Rangers, the battle was one of the shortest in Ranger history.

"I'm telling dad!" Sprocket whined. "He'll get you for this!"

"Bring it!" Jason had time to yell before the Machine Prince disappeared. The Rangers took a deep breath before de-morphing and turning to face their parents. Rocky, Aisha and Adam were met with incredulous stares, while Kat's mother Jessica was holding on to her daughter, thankful it wasn't her fighting.

"Why don't we all head over to my place?" Andrew offered. "We can explain things there." Incapable of anything else for the time being, the Parks, Campbells and Hillards nodded, allowing their children to lead them to the cars and drive them to the Hart residence.

"I-I don't understand…" Min, Adam's mother, stuttered. "How…when…"

"It's a long story." Adam told his mother. And it was. By the time they were finished telling it, the sun had fully set and Kira had been put to bed.

"So, you six were the Original Power Rangers." Derrell, Aisha's dad, said, trying to get this right through his shock. "Billy stepped down when you got new powers, and now that Jason, Trini, and Zack are leaving, you three are taking their place."

"That about sums it up." Aisha agreed.

"And you're not a Ranger, but you got pulled into this world because you got turned evil right after we moved here?" Albert, Kat's dad, clarified. Kat nodded.

"This…is a lot to take in…" Yu-jin, Adam's father, mumbled.

"No kidding." Michael mumbled right back.

"And there's no way we can convince you to give it up?" Carissa asked, Aisha shook her head. "How do you do it?" she then directed to the other parents.

"With lots of worry and utter terror." Caroline said. "But we realized that this is who they are, who they were meant to be." She looked to her daughter while saying this and the fact that she was saying this aloud, finally admitting after a year that this was who her child was, was a big step.

"We also make them check in after each battle." Vivian added. "And have a way of contacting Zordon should we not hear from them in awhile." Ernie nodded from his place off to the side, lifting his wrist to show them his communicator. Ernie had followed at the Rangers request and they had relented to Bulk and Skull coming as well, Ernie because he was involved and was a means to communicate with Zordon, and Bulk and Skull because they had never heard the full story.

"Do you want to meet him?" Rocky asked. "Zordon I mean." The Rangers had filled the newcomers in on how them telling their parents had gone and that Zordon had agreed to have the parents at the Command Centre; no doubt he'd agree to the other parents as well.

"No." Min said. "Not yet. Noble reasons or not I don't think I am calm enough to listen to him right now." The other parents nodded, agreeing with her assessment, though they did not dismiss meeting Zordon in the future.

"Rocky, you have to tell your mother." Yu-jin said to his charge. Rocky nodded having already known that.

"She has Tuesday afternoons off. I'll drive over while Emanuel and Nina are still at day camp." He said.

"We'll go with you." Min added.

"Thanks." For the moment nothing else was said. No one knew what else to say, and those who had just had one of the biggest shocks of their lives needed time to get accustomed to the idea. Thankfully, they were at least willing to get accustomed to it. This day, so like last year in many ways, could have gone very differently, and given the circumstances, everyone was thankful it hadn't.

**-T/K-**

The following Friday, August 25th, was the scheduled day of departure for the Peace Conference goers. Thursday night a big party had been held at the Youth Centre in their honour to say goodbye. With their flight set to leave at 10pm that evening, Friday morning and much of the afternoon was spent with their friends. As lunch neared, Kat, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam excused themselves citing they had work to do though everyone knew they were leaving the others alone to say their own goodbyes.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much!" Kim sobbed onto Jason's shoulder, while maintaining a death grip on both Trini and Zack. "We're family, we've known each other for forever! You guys are my best friends, and Rex you're my brother! We shared a crib!"

"We know all this, Ptera." Jason said soothingly. "And none of that is going to change. We'll still be family, we just won't see each other every day for awhile."

"And we'll be back for Christmas." Trini added, running a comforting hand over her best friends head.

"And we'll write every week, and call at least that often if not more often. And don't forget, we except lots of pictures of our niece." Zack finished with a look to the two year old in question who was happily rolling a ball back and forth with Billy.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Kim won't put down the camera. You'll be sick of seeing a minute-to-minute photo journal of her life." Tommy said teasingly.

"No, I don't think that's possible." Trini said, extracting herself from Kim to receive the little girl who had given up her game when Billy had left to retrieve the ball she had thrown instead of rolling.

"Tri, ma sad?" she asked, seeing the tears in her mother's eyes.

"No, mom's not sad." Trini assured her goddaughter as Kim immediately wiped her tears away and smiled at her daughter. With Kim's death grip gone, Zack and Jason crowded around Trini and lavished attention on the little girl, knowing they wouldn't be able to so for some time. After nearly a half hour of playing with Kira and talking, mostly reminiscing about good times, the gang stood up, Trini, Zack and Jason having one last stop to make before heading home to be fawned over by their parents. Six beams of light left the park and teleported into the Power Chamber. Three of the teleportees rushed over to their robotic friend and squished him in a group hug.

"Goodbye, Alpha. We'll miss you!" Trini mumbled.

"Aye yai yai! I shall miss you as well. But this is not goodbye forever."

"ALPHA IS RIGHT." Zordon said from his energy tube. "WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE POSITIVE CHANGES SUCH AN EXPERIENCE PROVIDES." All three nodded, unshed tears in their eyes, though Trini's fell rather quickly.

"We wanted to thank you, Zordon." Jason said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend. "For everything you've done for us. We wouldn't be us if it weren't for you."

"So thank you. Thank you, for dumping the fate of the world on the shoulders of six teenagers." Zack said everything sincerely, though his last statement still worked to diffuse the tension and bring laughter back into the equation. When the laughter died down, having lasted longer than it normally would have due to the situation, Trini looked to her watch and announced it was time to go. One last round of hugs were given, as well as a fond farewell to the one person they couldn't hug, before the three teleported out, leaving behind five sad, yet happy, beings.

"Goodbye guys." Kim murmured, tears once again streaming down her face. Tommy wrapped an arm around her, closely followed by Billy, the three drawing comfort from each other.

"Like Zordon said, we'll see them again."

"And the sadness we are experiencing now shall pale in comparison to the happiness we shall feel knowing they are having a stupendous time, and then finally when we do see them again." Although they could not imagine that happiness quite yet, having just said goodbye, they knew that, as always, Billy was right.

* * *

**A/N - They're gone! *sob* but they'll eventually be back. Yes, Kira's second birthday was interrupted, I wanted the new guys to tell their parents, but not make it as big a deal cause I've already done that, plus I wanted Jason, Trini and Zack to morph one more time and what better incentive then the machines interrupted their niece's birthday, especially after last year?**

**Review please!**


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